Google Ads are an incredibly useful tool for expanding your organization’s reach and driving conversions. Plus, eligible nonprofits can take advantage of this resource at no cost through the Google Ad Grants program, which provides applicants with $10,000 in advertising credits each month. This way, you can spread the word about your mission and encourage new audiences to get involved.
To make the most of this nonprofit advertising opportunity, you shouldn’t take a set-it-and-forget-it approach. Instead, revisit your strategy often and look for ways to optimize your Google Ads for maximum effectiveness.
In this guide, you’ll learn the basics of Google Ads optimization, as well as 13 top tips to help you get started. Here’s what we’ll cover:
At Getting Attention, we understand the importance of a strong Google Ads strategy for nonprofits like yours to promote their missions. Our team specializes in Google Ad Grants management, helping nonprofits worldwide optimize their search ads. As you implement the strategies in this guide, don’t hesitate to reach out for expert help at any stage of the optimization process. Let’s dive in!
What Is Google Ads Optimization?
Google Ads optimization is the ongoing process of refining and improving your organization’s Google Ads to improve results and achieve your goals.
As the world’s largest and most widely used online advertising platform, Google Ads have helped countless organizations further their missions. Continuing to re-evaluate the ways you leverage this tool over time comes with a variety of benefits, including:
Increased online conversions such as event sign ups, donations, and volunteer registrations.
Expanded organizational reach to supportersnew and old, inspiring them to take action.
Simultaneous campaigning, including the ability to market multiple ad campaigns with different purposes.
Greater audience understanding to better meet the needs of current and potential donors, volunteers, and advocates.
For nonprofits participating in the Google Ad Grant program, an additional benefit of Google Ads optimization is Google Ad Grants policy compliance. Your Google Ads must follow certain rules for your organization to maintain eligibility for the grant, and regularly optimizing your account allows you to check for and fix any aspects of your campaigns that may be out of line with Google’s guidelines. This way, you can ensure that your Google Ads continue to be a valuable part of your nonprofit’s marketing strategy.
Now that you know why Google Ads optimization is important, let’s dive into our top 13 tips for getting started:
We’ve broken these tips into categories to make them easier for your organization to implement, and the first category we’ll cover is optimizing your overarching Google Ads strategy.
Google Ads Optimization Strategy Tips
Although you likely developed a strategy for leveraging the platform when you first created your account, ensuring this strategy aligns with your nonprofit’s goals will help you maximize your Google Ad Grant over time.
1. Evaluate Your Current Ads
The first step to optimizing your Google Ads campaigns is to evaluate your current ad performance to see what is working and where you have room to improve. To do this, pay attention to four key metrics:
Impressions. An impression occurs every time your ad is displayed or seen by someone searching on Google. First, determine which of your campaigns are getting the most impressions. Then, consider why those ads might be more visible than others—oftentimes, the deciding factor is either ad quality or relevance to the searcher.
Click-Through Rate (CTR). This metric refers to the percentage of users who click on your ad after seeing it. It can be calculated by dividing the number of clicks by the number of impressions and multiplying the result by 100. A high CTR means a large audience is seeing the ad and finding it relevant.
Conversions. A conversion occurs when a user takes a desired action after clicking on your ad, such as donating, registering for an event, or signing up to volunteer. Keeping track of the amount of impressions and clicks that lead to conversions will help you identify which ads in each of your campaigns are performing the best.
Cost per click (CPC). This metric can help you budget your nonprofit’s $10,000 per month from the Google Ad Grant effectively. CPC is affected by the amount you bid for each keyword in your strategy, the keyword’s quality score, and the ad’s placement on the search engine results page (SERP). Examining your ad spend can help you scale your ads appropriately to get them in front of the right audience.
You can access reports on all of these metrics in your nonprofit’s Google Analytics account. The program will even break down the report by time of day, providing even more insight into when your ads perform best.
2. Find and Fill Opportunity Gaps
Using the metrics above to evaluate your current ads can also help you identify opportunities that you haven’t yet taken advantage of or gaps in your strategy that need to be filled. In particular, this process can help you notice lost impressions, which are missed impression opportunities between you and your audience. Analyzing your lost impressions report can help you prioritize the ads that have the most potential to convert.
Additionally, you should regularly compare your Google Ad Grants strategy to your organization’s overarching goals. For instance, if your nonprofit has set a goal to boost online donations by 20% this coming year, you might put more effort into improving and expanding the reach of your Google Ads that link back to the donation form on your website.
Google Ads Optimization Keyword Tips
Keywords are the words or phrases that Google users type into the search bar. When you create a Google Ads campaign, you’ll attach keywords to your ads to trigger their appearance on the SERP when users search those keywords.
Here are three tips to help you optimize your Google Ads keywords for maximum reach.
3. Choose Specific, Relevant Keywords
Your keywords should be closely related to your mission and the desired action attached to each of your Google Ads. This way, you can get your ads in front of the users who are most likely to convert.
Following the Google Ad Grant policies for keywords not only ensures your account is in compliance with the rules, but it’s also helpful in optimizing your strategy. Google’s requirements include:
No single-word keywords unless they’re on the approved list of exceptions. Most single-word keywords are too broad to get your ad in front of an audience who would want to engage with it. For example, if an animal shelter used “cat” as one of their keywords, that would bring up a wide range of search results, many of which have nothing to do with aiding in the shelter’s mission to rescue cats in need. Choosing phrases like “adopt a cat” or “volunteer with cats” could reach the organization’s target audience more effectively.
No overly generic keywords. Remember that the goal of your keyword strategy is to drive conversions from users who are interested in your mission. Generic keywords like “free videos” or “eBook downloads” don’t tend to be helpful in reaching that goal. So, Google doesn’t permit nonprofits to use generic keywords to ensure they use their grant wisely.
No keywords with a quality score of 1 or 2. Quality score is a diagnostic measure that Google uses to determine keyword relevance. It’s calculated using factors like historical impressions for that keyword and expected CTR. Keywords with a quality score of 3 or higher on a scale of 1 to 10 are more likely to convert users and make the grant money your nonprofit spends worth it.
By choosing high-quality, relevant keywords, your ads can effectively engage users who are actively searching for information related to your mission and work. Leverage Google Keyword Planner and other keyword research tools to help you create the most effective strategy for your nonprofit.
4. Consider Keywords’ Search Intent
In addition to keyword quality and relevance, thinking about search intent is essential for getting your Google Ads in front of users who would be interested in them. While there are a variety of reasons why someone would search for different keywords on Google, some of the most common search intents that your nonprofit might target with ads include:
Educational: Users want to learn more about a cause or issue by searching terms like “effects of childhood poverty” or “dog adoption statistics.”
Navigational: Users are looking to access a specific organization’s website by searching a term that includes the nonprofit’s name.
Commercial: Users aren’t necessarily ready to take a desired action yet, but they’re weighing their options through searches such as “volunteer opportunities near me” or “top-rated animal shelters.”
Transactional: Users who search keywords like “sponsor a child” or “adopt a shelter dog” are typically at the point of conversion.
Depending on the keyword’s intent, you can direct audiences who click on your ad to different landing pages. Educational keywords often lend themselves to promoting blog articles, downloadable resources, or case studies. Searchers of navigational keywords usually want to be directed to your homepage, and ads targeting commercial or transactional keywords should link to landing pages where users can fill out a form or take another action.
5. Identify Negative Keywords
Once you’ve determined which keywords you want to target with your ads, you should also identify keywords that don’t relate to your organization’s offerings—also known as negative keywords. Despite the name, negative keywords aren’t inherently bad. They’re just phrases your organization may not want its ads associated with.
Because you spend your Google Ad Grant funds every time someone clicks on one of your ads, it’s vital to exclude irrelevant or wasteful search terms from your campaigns. That way, you can maximize your monthly budget by focusing on ads that are likely to convert users.
Google Ads Optimization Tips for Audience Targeting
Although keywords are essential for your Google Ads to reach the correct audience, there are other targeting strategies you can use to boost clicks and conversions. We’ll discuss three of these in more detail below.
6. Define Your Target Audience
As with any strategy for supporter engagement, it’s important to understand the individuals you want to reach with your various Google Ads. Some segmentation criteria you can use to define your target audience include:
Demographic characteristics such as age, location, education, family status, and wealth.
Giving and involvement history with your organization, including past donation amounts and frequency, volunteer hours, event attendance, and participation in advocacy activities.
Relevant interests and motivations for supporting your nonprofit’s mission.
Once you understand your target audience, you can write ad copy that they’ll be receptive to and add keywords that they’re likely to search for to your strategy. Also, keep in mind that each of your ads might have a slightly different target audience.
7. Leverage Geotargeting
Geotargeting allows your nonprofit to narrow down the audience for a Google Ads campaign to users in a specific geographic area. This is especially useful for marketing in-person events, volunteer opportunities, and services to ensure that the people who see your ad live close enough to benefit from it.
Google Ads provides three overarching location criteria that you can use to get started with geotargeting:
“Target” locations are places where users are physically located in which your ad will be shown.
“Exclude” locations are places where you don’t want a specific ad to appear.
“Location of Interest” places allow ads to be shown to users searching for information about a particular location even if they aren’t physically there when they conduct the search.
From there, you can further refine your geotargeting by inputting custom locations on a map or reaching out to specific demographics within your target locations. You can also adjust your location-specific keyword bids based on where you’re most likely to receive clicks.
8. Create a Remarketing Strategy
In the context of Google Ads, remarketing or retargeting involves showing search ads to audience members who have previously visited your nonprofit’s website but didn’t convert. When these users search for relevant terms, your ads will display higher on the SERP. Retargeted ads may also appear as banners on other websites within the Google Display Network.
Remarketing allows you to re-engage potential supporters who have shown interest in your organization in the past, reminding them about your mission and encouraging them to come back to your site to take a desired action. Your organization can nurture supporter relationships that might otherwise have been lost and increase a variety of conversions, from donations to event attendance to signups for your email newsletter.
Google Ads Optimization Tips for Ad Structure
While the optimization tips we’ve covered so far focus mostly on factors that affect your entire account, the next four will dive deeper into how your individual Google Ads fit into the bigger picture. Your campaigns determine where your website will show up and who will see those ads, and your ad groups, headlines, copy, and landing pages are the deciding factors that affect your CTR and conversion rates.
9. Understand Correct Campaign Flow
We’ve mentioned the terms “campaign,” “ad group,” and “ad” several times throughout this guide. While each refers to a specific element of your Google Ads strategy, they fit together in a specific way, as shown in the diagram below:
Campaigns. These are the largest building blocks of your strategy. You can run up to five campaigns at a time, and each one should be centered around a broad goal such as “volunteering” or “fundraising.”
Ad groups. These are collections of ads that target related sets of keywords. Each campaign should have at least two ad groups to improve keyword alignment and landing page relevance.
Ads. Each individual ad consists of a headline and description that shows up on the SERPs for relevant keywords. For the best user experience, you should have at least two ads per ad group.
The guidelines of having no more than five campaigns, at least two ad groups per campaign, and at least two ads per ad group are also important for your nonprofit to maintain compliance with the Google Ad Grant policies.
10. Improve Headlines and Copy Through A/B Testing
One of the reasons your nonprofit is required to have at least two ads in each ad group is so that you can conduct A/B testing. This process involves comparing two versions of an ad against one another to properly determine which is the optimal performer.
A/B testing can help you improve several aspects of your Google Ad design, including:
Headlines. Your headline is the top, bold line of text in your ad. It’s the first thing users notice when your ad appears on a SERP and the place they click to visit your landing page. Testing multiple variations of the same headline can help you determine which one grabs users’ attention and boosts your CTR the most.
Descriptions. A Google Ad description is usually two lines of text that appear below the headline and let users know why they should click on an ad. As you test different descriptions, optimize them for clicks by incorporating second-person pronouns (you/your/yours), using active verbs, and focusing on benefits to the user.
Landing page choice. With some keywords, the exact user intent may not be clear at first glance. It can be helpful to run two variations of an ad that link to similar landing pages to determine which one users actually want to click. For instance, you could link to your volunteer sign-up form in one version of an ad and a page describing volunteer opportunities at your nonprofit in another to determine whether users who search for your target keyword are ready to convert or need more information before signing up.
The Google Ad Grant policies require your nonprofit to maintain at least a 5% CTR and be able to show a minimum of one meaningful conversion per month to stay eligible for funding. Testing different variations of your ads against each other to see which one leads to the most clicks and conversions can help you comply with this rule.
11. Optimize Your Landing Pages
In order for your nonprofit to receive Ad Grant funding, Google requires that your website have substantial mission-related content and provide a positive user experience. This is also an area where you shouldn’t take a set-it-and-forget-it approach, though. Once you’ve secured your Google Ad Grant, continue to evaluate your landing pages by asking yourself the following questions:
Is the content relevant to users’ needs and the target keyword’s search intent?
Are the visuals and multimedia elements used on the page engaging and accessible?
Does the page have a clear value proposition and call to action?
Additionally, make sure your site loads quickly and is mobile responsive to ensure your audience stays on the landing page long enough to convert.
12. Incorporate Ad Extensions
To make your ads more user-friendly, Google offers a variety of additional features known as ad extensions.There are many different types of extensions, but here are some of the most popular ones for nonprofits to use, as shown in this example from WWF:
Sitelink extensions append links to additional pages on your website, offering more options for audiences to learn more about your cause and get involved.
Call extensions allow users to call your nonprofit simply by clicking on the phone number attached to your ad.
Lead form extensions provide a place for users to submit their contact information directly from the ad so that they can easily ask questions or express interest in receiving communications from your organization.
Callouts are text snippets that highlight key selling points, statistics, or other information about your nonprofit to promote it more effectively.
According to the Google Ad Grants rules, nonprofits have to add at least two sitelink extensions to each ad to maintain compliance. However, you should also experiment with the other types of ad extensions to see which ones boost conversions the most.
Google Ads Optimization Tip for Effective Management
Our final tip for Google Ads optimization is a simple one: In order to continue managing your campaigns over time, work with experts who specialize in all things Google Ad Grants.
13. Work With a Google Grants Management Professional
Google Ad Grants management is a full-time job. Oftentimes, nonprofits will turn to professional consulting agencies to manage their Google Ad Grants accounts. If you do this, make sure to invest in an agency that devotes its time solely to Google Ad Grants.
Getting Attention is one such agency. We’re prepared to help you every step of the way, from submitting your application to setting up your account to optimizing your ads over time.
Some of our core services include:
Completing Google Ad Grant applications and eligibility checks.
Maintaining proper account hygiene.
Conducting keyword research and advising you on which ones to target.
Optimizing, redesigning, and relaunching potential landing pages on your website.
Helping you get your account reactivated if it’s ever suspended for any reason.
If you need additional services outside of these five main solutions, we’re open to discussing our experience and ability to meet your needs. Contact us to learn more about how Getting Attention’s services can help your nonprofit optimize its Google Ads strategy!
Google Ads Optimization: The Bottom Line
Effectively marketing your nonprofit’s mission involves not only taking advantage of the $10,000 in free promotion that the Google Ad Grant provides, but also ensuring your ads continue to perform well over time. Although the optimization process may seem daunting at first, know that you don’t have to go it alone—the experts at Getting Attention are here to help!
To learn more about Google Ads and their purposes, check out these additional resources:
https://gettingattention.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Google-Ads-Optimization_Feature.png14002900Jessica Kinghttps://gettingattention.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/getting-attention-logo.svgJessica King2023-08-30 09:05:122024-11-26 16:38:4113+ Simple and Effective Tips for Google Ads Optimization
If you’re familiar with the Google Ad Grants program, you may know that its coordinators enforce a series of Google Ad Grants rules nonprofits must follow to stay eligible. While it’s easy to view the compliance guidelines as limitations, these rules can actually be helpful for optimizing your account.
This complete Ad Grants policy compliance guide will share everything you need to know to keep your account in good standing.
Organizing your work and connecting you with your fellow employees are tasks any business software should accomplish. And like businesses, nonprofits can benefit from investing in software that streamlines their operations.
Google Workspace for Nonprofits, also known as Google G Suite for Nonprofits, provides that solution for nonprofits of all types and sizes. The wide variety of apps it offers suits any need a nonprofit could have and facilitates communication and daily tasks. All you have to do is understand Workspace’s features and configure them to match your organization’s needs.
To help you out, we’ve put together this guide on everything you need to know about Google Workspace for nonprofits. Read more
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One of the most valuable marketing tools out there for nonprofits is video. Videos display your nonprofit’s mission in a visual, easily digestible way. However, if you don’t effectively promote your videos, they won’t reach potential supporters.
That’s where the Google Ad Grant program comes in. An equally impactful nonprofit marketing tool, the Google Ad Grant is a free and easy way to promote your video content.
In this guide, we’ll cover the basics of the program, explain how it will benefit your video marketing strategy, and provide best practices for leveraging the grant funding. Whether you’re looking for a new way to promote your nonprofit videos, or you’re a Google Ad Grant participant looking to take your marketing strategy to the next level, read on to learn how you can use both the Google Ad Grant and nonprofit videos to your advantage.
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Your nonprofit’s donors are essential for propelling your mission forward. What if you could double their donations and raise even more revenue from their support?
Thanks to corporate matching gift programs, you can do exactly that! As a part of their corporate philanthropy initiatives, many companies match the donations their employees make to nonprofit organizations. The key to success lies in ensuring that your staff and donors understand the matching gift opportunities available.
In this guide, we’ll discuss some matching gift basics and walk through the top 25 matching gift companies you should know. Here’s what we’ll cover:
According to 360MatchPro, “an estimated $2-$3 billion is donated through matching gift programs annually.” Is your nonprofit ready to tap into more of these valuable opportunities? Let’s get started!
Top Matching Gift Companies: FAQs
First, let’s take a look at a few frequently asked questions about matching gift companies so you can better understand how to leverage the opportunities they offer.
Why do companies have matching gift programs?
There are many reasons why businesses launch corporate philanthropy initiatives, such as matching gift programs. The following statistics illustrate the importance of corporate social responsibility among today’s companies, as well as explain why so many employers are dedicated to exemplifying CSR:
75% of Americans indicate that companies should not just make money, but positively impact society as well.
Around 50% of employees in the U.K. and the U.S. would resign from their roles if the company’s values did not align with their own.
90% of companies believe that partnering with reputable nonprofits enhances their brand.
Employees who participate in corporate giving programs have a 75% longer tenure with their company.
From boosting their reputation to increasing employee engagement, companies receive a wide range of benefits from creating matching gift programs. This leads to more support for nonprofits like yours, allowing you to make an even greater difference in the community.
How do matching gift programs work?
Matching gift programs differ from company to company. Typically, the matching gift process looks something like this:
A donor gives to your nonprofit.
The donor checks their eligibility using a matching gift database.
With the right tools and understanding of this process, you can better inform donors of this opportunity and encourage them to submit matching gift requests.
We recommend investing in matching gift software that offers auto-submission via integrations with popular workplace giving platforms. With this technology, your donors can automatically have their matching gift requests submitted to their employers. There’s no need for them to fill out a form manually, and this tool ensures all necessary information is provided to the employer.
What are the key characteristics of a top matching gift company?
More and more businesses are launching matching gift programs, with 51% of Russell 1000 companies publicly disclosing that they offer these opportunities to their employees. To single out the top matching gift companies from the crowd, however, it’s necessary to take a closer look at these differentiating elements:
Low minimum match amount. Often, companies will only match an employee’s gift if it is higher than a pre-specified amount. This amount can range from $1 to over $100. The best matching gift companies have a low minimum match amount that makes it easier for employees to participate no matter their budget for charitable giving.
High maximum match amount. Many businesses specify a maximum annual match amount as well, typically between $1,000 and $15,000. This means that they’ll contribute no more than the maximum amount stipulated, regardless of how much an employee donates in a given year. Many of the top matching gift companies have a matching gift cap on the upper end of that range, allowing participants to create a larger impact on nonprofits they care about.
High match ratio. Match ratios determine how much a company contributes to a nonprofit based on the donor’s gift amount. While many choose to match donations dollar for dollar (1:1), match ratios can range anywhere from .5:1 to 4:1. The higher the ratio, the more revenue your nonprofit can receive from a single donation.
Employee eligibility. While some companies limit their matching gift program participation to full-time employees, others allow part-time and retired employees to take part as well. This allows them to provide more support to the causes that their employees care about.
Keep these matching gift company characteristics in mind as you begin researching and promoting opportunities to your organization’s supporters. This way, you’ll get a better idea of how much you can expect to benefit from each program. Furthermore, many of the top matching gift companies also have volunteer grant programs that encourage their employees to dedicate their time and provide even more funding opportunities to nonprofits.
To set your nonprofit up for success, download Double the Donation’s free matching gifts checklist and share it with your team. This detailed resource will walk you through all the steps to making the most of matching gift opportunities.
25 Best Matching Gift Companies
Now that we’ve covered the essentials, let’s explore the 25 top matching gift companies your nonprofit should keep an eye on:
1. Soros Fund Management
Soros Fund Management stands out as a notable matching gift company due to its generous maximum match amount. The details of its program include:
Match ratio: Up to 2:1
Minimum match amount: $25
Maximum match amount: $100,000 per year
Eligible employees: Full-time
In addition to matching employee donations to most nonprofits, including educational institutions, Soros Fund Management offers a volunteer grant program. When an employee volunteers 20 hours or more with an organization, this company offers the organization a grant of $1,000 to $4,000, depending on the number of hours volunteered.
2. The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company matches gifts to nonprofits focusing on education, the environment, and arts and culture. The details of its program include:
Match ratio: 2:1
Minimum match amount: $25
Maximum match amount: $20,000 per year
Eligible employees: Full-time and retired
To ensure that their donations are matched, employees must submit their matching gift requests by February 28th of the year following when the gift was made.
3. Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson is another notable matching gift company, with program details such as:
Match ratio: Up to 2:1
Minimum match amount: $25
Maximum match amount: $20,000 per year
Eligible employees: Full-time, part-time, and retired
While retired employees are eligible for this company’s impactful program, Johnson & Johnson matches their donations at a 1:1 ratio, with a maximum contribution of $10,000 per year.
4. ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil dedicates itself to significant corporate philanthropy initiatives, including its matching gifts program. The details include:
Match ratio: Up to 2:1
Minimum match amount: $50
Maximum match amount: $7,500 per year
Eligible employees: Full-time, part-time, and retired
Similar to Johnson & Johnson, this company allows retired employees to participate in its matching gifts program, but matches their contributions at a 1:1 ratio. Furthermore, ExxonMobil offers two volunteer grant programs for its employees, one for individuals and one for teams, that empower them to further their impact on causes they care about.
5. Merck & Co.
Through its Partnership for Giving (P4G) program, Merck matches employee donations to organizations that support those in need, promote education, focus on environmental conservation, and more.
Match ratio: 1:1
Minimum match amount: $25
Maximum match amount: $30,000 per year
Eligible employees: Full-time and part-time
In addition to its matching gifts program, Merck provides a $500 cash contribution to nonprofits that their employees spend at least 40 hours volunteering with each year.
6. The Walt Disney Corporation
Over the past decade, Disney has matched over $104 million through its employee giving programs. Its matching gift program details include:
Match ratio: 1:1
Minimum match amount: $25
Maximum match amount: $25,000 per year
Eligible employees: Full-time and part-time
Additionally, Disney has a “VoluntEARS” grant program that allows employees to direct up to $2,000 in funds toward organizations with which they’ve spent time volunteering.
7. Amgen
The Amgen Matching Gift program allows employees based in the United States and Puerto Rico to amplify the impact of their donations by matching them dollar for dollar. The details of this program include:
Match ratio: 1:1
Minimum match amount: $50
Maximum match amount: $20,000 per year
Eligible employees: Full-time and part-time
Like many other top matching gift companies, Amgen also encourages its employees to get involved in the community through its volunteer grant program. Once an employee volunteers for at least 15 hours with an organization, they can request a $500 grant. Depending on hours volunteered, a full-time employee can request up to $2,000 in volunteer grants per year, while part-time employees can request up to $1,000 per year.
8. Microsoft
Microsoft matches employee donations to most nonprofits, including educational institutions, health and human services, arts and cultural organizations, and more. Its matching gift program details include:
Match ratio: 1:1
Minimum match amount: $1
Maximum match amount: $15,000 per year
Eligible employees: Full-time and part-time
Through the company’s volunteer grant program, employees can also request a $25 grant for every hour they volunteer with an organization. In just 2022, Microsoft employees donated $255 million, including company matches, and volunteered over 720,000 hours with nonprofits.
9. Gap Inc.
Gap Inc. offers numerous environmental, social, and governance (ESG) programs to engage its employees and generate a lasting impact on the community. Its matching gift program details include:
Match ratio: 1:1
Minimum match amount: $10
Maximum match amount: $15,000 per year
Eligible employees: Full-time, part-time, and retired
Beyond matching gifts, Gap Inc. has programs such as Money for Time, which involves donating $150 to a nonprofit for every 15 hours an employee volunteers with the organization. The company also encourages employees to spend five “on-the-clock” hours volunteering for causes close to their hearts.
10. Apple
Through its matching gifts program, Apple matches employee donations to most nonprofits dollar for dollar. The program’s specific details include:
Match ratio: 1:1
Minimum match amount: None
Maximum match amount: $10,000 per year
Eligible employees: Full-time and part-time
Apple employees can log in to access the company’s giving portal and view all of the complete matching gift guidelines for free. The company also offers a volunteer grant program, donating $25 for every hour an Apple employee volunteers with an organization.
11. Google
Google matches both personal employee donations made to nonprofits and donations made toward disaster relief or international relief. The specific details of its matching gifts program include:
Match ratio: 1:1
Minimum match amount: None
Maximum match amount: $10,000 per year
Eligible employees: Full-time and part-time
Like many of the best matching gift companies, Google offers a volunteer program and contributes $10 for every hour an employee volunteers with a nonprofit. Furthermore, the company matches funds raised by employees who participate in fundraising events such as marathons or bike rides.
12. Dell
Dell matches employee donations to most nonprofit organizations, including civic and community organizations, educational institutions, environmental causes, and more.
Match ratio: 1:1
Minimum match amount: $10
Maximum match amount: $10,000 per year
Eligible employees: Full-time and part-time
The company matches both individual donations from employees around the world and a portion of funds raised by employees during charitable events, such as walks and bike rides. Additionally, each quarter, Dell awards $150 donations to employees who volunteered more than 10 hours with a nonprofit. Since the inception of its volunteer program, Dell’s employees have spent more than 7.8 million hours volunteering with their nonprofit of choice.
13. Chevron
Chevron’s matching gift program, Chevron Humankind, matches employee contributions of both money and time to nonprofits. The program’s details include:
Match ratio: 1:1
Minimum match amount: $20
Maximum match amount: $10,000 per year
Eligible employees: Full-time and retired
Most nonprofits are eligible to receive matching gifts from this company, including educational institutions and arts and cultural organizations. While current full-time employees can request matched donations for up to $10,000 per year, retired employees can request up to $3,000 each year.
14. Boeing
Boeing’s matching gift program includes all current employees, in addition to retirees, spouses, and domestic partners. Additional details of this program include:
Match ratio: 1:1
Minimum match amount: $20
Maximum match amount: $10,000 per year
Eligible employees: Full-time and retired
Active employees receive a 1:1 match, while retirees, spouses, and domestic partners receive a .5:1 match. Additionally, Boeing offers a volunteer grant program, providing $100 grants for every 10 hours of volunteering, once an employee has contributed at least 25 hours to a nonprofit. The company also offers team volunteer grants, which increase depending on the number of employees who participate in a group volunteer opportunity.
15. State Street Corporation
State Street Foundation is the charitable arm of State Street Corporation that aims to engage employees and make a difference in the community. Its matching gift program details include:
Match ratio: 1:1
Minimum match amount: $25
Maximum match amount: $10,000 per year
Eligible employees: Full-time and part-time
In the past year, State Street Foundation has contributed $20.2 million to nonprofits, including matching gifts and grants. In addition to donating to organizations, employees can request a $500 grant from the company after volunteering 16 hours with a nonprofit.
16. American Express
American Express has both a generous cap on matching donations and increases its matching gift ratio for certain employees. The details of its matching gifts program include:
Match ratio: Up to 2:1
Minimum match amount: $25
Maximum match amount: $8,000 per year
Eligible employees: Full-time and part-time
While the standard match ratio is 1:1, employees who either serve on a nonprofit’s board or volunteer more than 50 hours a year can receive a 2:1 match for the first $1,000 donated to that organization.
17. Verizon
Verizon, through the Verizon Matching Incentive Program, matches employee donations on a dollar-for-dollar basis. The details of its matching gifts program include:
Match ratio: 1:1
Minimum match amount: $25
Maximum match amount: $6,000 per year
Eligible employees: Full-time, part-time, and retired
The company matches financial contributions to most nonprofits, as long as they have 501(c)(3) status or an international equivalent. Specifically, Verizon matches individual donations of up to $5,000 to higher education organizations and up to $1,000 to other nonprofits.
18. General Electric
In 1954, General Electric created the first-ever matching gift program. The details of this program include:
Match ratio: 1:1
Minimum match amount: $25
Maximum match amount: $5,000 per year
Eligible employees: Full-time and part-time
To date, this company’s matching gift program has raised over $1.5 billion in nonprofit donations. Additionally, General Electric offers a generous deadline for employees to submit their matching gift request (April 15th of the year following the donation).
While retired employees cannot participate in the matching gift program, they can request a $500 volunteer grant for every 50 hours volunteered with a nonprofit, for up to $1,000 per year. Current employees can take advantage of this impactful opportunity as well.
20. CarMax
The CarMax Foundation matches individual employee donations dollar for dollar. The specifics of its matching gift program include:
Match ratio: 1:1
Minimum match amount: $25
Maximum match amount: $5,000 per year
Eligible employees: Full-time, part-time, and retired
The maximum match amount factors in volunteer grants as well. For every hour a CarMax employee or an eligible family member volunteers, the company awards $15 to the nonprofit.
21. Pfizer, Inc.
Pfizer is another matching gift company that matches employee donations to recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofits. Its matching gift program details include:
Match ratio: 1:1
Minimum match amount: $25
Maximum match amount: $5,000 per year
Eligible employees: Full-time and part-time
In addition to matching gifts, the company has a volunteer grant program that can award up to $1,000 each year depending on the number of hours an employee volunteers. The Pfizer Foundation also offers disaster matches when humanitarian disasters occur, identifying organizations for which it will provide a dollar-for-dollar match for all contributions.
22. Salesforce
Salesforce encourages its employees to give back to the community through its matching gifts program. The specifics of this program are:
Match ratio: 1:1
Minimum match amount: $50
Maximum match amount: $5,000 per year
Eligible employees: Full-time and part-time
Furthermore, Salesforce employees receive seven paid days off each year to spend volunteering in their communities.
23. State Farm
State Farm is a matching gift company that matches employee donations to specific nonprofits that focus on education, safety, and community development. The details of its matching gifts program include:
Match ratio: 1:1
Minimum match amount: $25
Maximum match amount: $4,500 per year
Eligible employees: Full-time
Additionally, the company’s Good Neighbor Grant awards eligible nonprofits with a $500 grant whenever current or retired employees volunteer a minimum of 40 hours with that organization in a year.
24. The Home Depot
The Home Depot matches individual donations and funds raised by employees for charitable purposes, such as a 5K run. The details of its matching gifts program include:
Match ratio: 1:1
Minimum match amount: $25
Maximum match amount: $3,000 per year
Eligible employees: Full-time and part-time
Employees must register their gifts by January 31st of the year following their donation. Once they’ve registered their gift, they can easily and conveniently track their matching gift status online.
25. Starbucks
Starbucks matches donations made by current U.S. and Canada-based employees to nearly all nonprofit organizations. The specifics of this matching gifts program include:
Match ratio: 1:1
Minimum match amount: $25
Maximum match amount: $1,000 per year
Eligible employees: Full-time and part-time
Starbucks employees are also eligible for volunteer grants up to $1,000, depending on the number of hours they serve with a nonprofit.
How to Earn More Matching Gift Revenue
Since each matching gift company has differing guidelines, it’s important to have a way to effectively keep track of all of this information. Fortunately, there are tools made exclusively for nonprofits that will empower your team to identify these matching gift programs and boost your overall matching gift revenue.
Let’s explore some essential matching gift best practices for your nonprofit.
Use a Matching Gift Database
A matching gift database contains all the information your nonprofit and donors need to know about corporate matching gift programs. After considerable research and comparisons, our top recommended matching gift database to optimize your results is 360MatchPro by Double the Donation.
Double the Donation’s database houses up-to-date information on over 20,000 matching gift companies. This service allows you to embed a company search tool anywhere on your website, such as your donation page. When a donor makes a gift, the widget will automatically populate with their company’s matching gift forms and guidelines.
360MatchPro scans the information donors provide during the giving process, such as their employer information, and triggers branded follow-up emails depending on their matching gift eligibility. If it’s determined that your donor works for a company with a matching gift program, 360MatchPro will automatically send out matching gift request instructions on your behalf. This ensures that you can identify more eligible donors and boost your fundraising revenue.
Historically, donors manually fill out a matching gift request to ask their employer to match their donations. These forms require a bunch of information the supporter already provided in their initial donation or likely needs to look up, such as the nonprofit’s tax ID number, donation amount, date of the gift, and more. Luckily, nonprofits can now eliminate this step.
Make submitting matching gift requests on your nonprofit’s behalf even more convenient with auto-submission. With this functionality, all they need to do is use their corporate email address when donating. Then, the tool will complete and send the form on their behalf.
To take advantage of auto-submission, the donor must work for a company that utilizes a corporate social responsibility (CSR) management platform that integrates with Double the Donation, like Millie or Selflessly. Furthermore, the benefiting nonprofit must use Double the Donation’s matching gift tools.
So far, auto-submission functionality is projected to yield an 80% increase in matching gift revenue for nonprofits. As availability becomes increasingly widespread, more nonprofits and companies will experience the convenience of auto-submission.
Promote Matching Gifts to Supporters
Finally, ensure that all of your organization’s current and prospective donors are aware of matching gift opportunities by spreading the word about these programs online. In addition to using 360MatchPro to send automated emails to supporters, you can promote more matching gifts by:
Creating informative social media posts.
Writing blog posts on matching gifts.
Advertising your matching gift page.
Your nonprofit doesn’t need an extensive marketing budget to boost awareness of matching gifts. By making the most of opportunities such as the Google Ad Grant program, your organization can claim $10,000 a month to direct users to your matching gift page. As with any grant opportunity, be sure to conduct your research ahead of time to determine your eligibility and maximize your chances of success.
Wrapping Up
Over 26 million people around the world work for companies with matching gift programs. While these 25 matching gift companies may be some of the most notable among nonprofits, there’s an abundance of opportunities for your organization to earn more revenue for its mission.
If you’re looking for more information on promoting and optimizing matching gifts for your nonprofit, check out these helpful resources:
https://gettingattention.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Top-Matching-Gift-Companies_Feature-Compressed.jpg8102330Jessica Kinghttps://gettingattention.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/getting-attention-logo.svgJessica King2023-08-16 16:06:222024-11-15 14:46:4225 Top Matching Gift Companies to Have On Your Radar
Peer-to-peer fundraising is a powerful form of nonprofit fundraising in which organizations empower their supporters to raise money on their behalf. This fundraising strategy, also referred to as social fundraising or P2P giving, enables nonprofits to reach larger audiences, engage new donors, and raise a ton of funding for their causes.
For this fundraising method to be effective, your dedicated supporters require the right tools—or peer-to-peer platforms—to manage their fundraising from start to finish. And there are a lot of software choices to explore. That’s why we’ve crafted this guide to help you decide on the provider that’s best for you.
By the end of this guide, you’ll be comfortable with the types of features and functionalities peer-to-peer fundraising software can offer, and you’ll walk away with a few great options to consider. Set your team up for success by carefully deciding which solution will work best for you!
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Software: The Basics
Keeping your peer-to-peer fundraising process organized can be difficult. Your team may have suddenly become a lot bigger with the inclusion of your peer fundraisers, and you have to manage both them and your staff members for your campaign to succeed. Plus, you have to track the funds everyone has raised and keep morale and excitement high.
Peer-to-peer fundraising software can help you keep your processes organized and streamlined. Such a solution comes with the following functionalities:
Communication tools. To have a successful campaign, you need to communicate effectively with staff members and volunteers. Peer-to-peer fundraising software enables you to message all involved individuals and even create communication templates to help your volunteers reach out to their networks.
Individual fundraising pages. With the right software solution, your volunteers will be able to create, customize, and personalize individual fundraising pages. They can use these pages to help you acquire donations and share their story, goals, and progress. Since they’ll be tapping into their network for fundraising, this personalization will help create an emotional connection for potential donors.
Donation processing. Allow donors to make gifts through individual fundraising pages. That way, they won’t have to navigate to your nonprofit’s website to make a gift, making the process more convenient. Peer-to-peer fundraising software will give you secure and easy-to-use donation processing forms to ensure a smooth giving experience.
Mobile optimization. As 57% of nonprofit website traffic comes from mobile devices, ensure that your peer-to-peer fundraising software can create fundraising pages that are optimized for mobile usage.
Social sharing integrations. Since your volunteers will be promoting their fundraising page to their network, social sharing integrations are crucial to success. With these integrations, they’ll be able to easily share their pages through social media, email, and text messaging, maximizing their advertising opportunities and ability to reach their network.
Gamification elements. Friendly competition motivates your peer fundraisers to increase their efforts in helping your nonprofit. Peer-to-peer fundraising software allows you to create a competitive spirit by incorporating gamification elements, such as leaderboards and milestone rewards.
Data and analytics. Keep track of your volunteers’ fundraising in real-time and get insight into the overall amount of revenue generated. Then, use this information to make informed adjustments to the strategy for your peer-to-peer fundraising campaign. You can also evaluate the data to help improve future campaigns.
Peer-to-peer fundraising software is specifically designed to help your nonprofit’s peer-to-peer campaign shine. Harness these functionalities to provide support for your volunteers and ensure your next campaign is a success.
11 Top Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Software Solutions
When choosing a peer-to-peer fundraising software solution to invest in, take a look at their case studies and testimonials. In particular, assess how the provider has helped organizations similar to yours in size and type, as that will give you insight into how the solution will work for you. Also, don’t be afraid to look at third-party reviews!
Keep these considerations in mind as you read through the following list of top peer-to-peer fundraising software solutions. If you see a solution you’re interested in, assess whether it will meet your needs, align with your budget, and be easy to use.
1. CharityEngine
CharityEngine is an all-in-one nonprofit donor management and fundraising platform designed to aid nonprofits of all sizes in a wide range of fundraising efforts. In addition to their greater constituent relationship management (CRM) solution, they offer peer-to-peer fundraising software that provides groups and individual fundraisers with the capabilities they need to succeed.
Some of CharityEngine’s peer-to-peer features include:
Personalized campaign microsites
Customizable team and personal fundraising pages
Strategic fundraising goal-tracking tools
Plus, CharityEngine’s peer-to-peer fundraising software integrates seamlessly with donor management solutions, event management tools, and other fundraising software. That way, you can smoothly transition from your existing software to this CRM solution.
Classy is a comprehensive online fundraising solution complete with peer-to-peer functionality and a mission to empower nonprofit organizations to unlock the generosity of their supporters. Since its foundation, Classy has helped thousands of nonprofits advance their missions, raising more than $5 billion in donation revenue.
This peer-to-peer fundraising software’s features include:
Campaign templates
Embedded videos and livestreams
Built-in progress thermometer
Mobile-optimized pages and donation forms
Flexible payment processing
Employer donation match options
With Classy, you’ll be able to mobilize your supporters with easy-to-use tools so they feel empowered to advocate for your cause. Plus, you’ll have built-in tips and expert fundraising guidance, including automated email workflows to coach, motivate, and thank volunteer fundraisers.
A powerful online fundraising platform, Click & Pledge is dedicated to helping nonprofits and their supporters set up and manage effective fundraising campaigns. They’ve handled more than $1 billion in charitable contributions for more than 20,000 causes. Their platform is built for a variety of organizations, including nonprofits, associations, educational institutions, faith-based groups, and more.
They offer a variety of solutions that can support your peer-to-peer needs, including:
Donation Forms
Text-to-Give
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Sites
Video Fundraising
Donor Outreach
In-Person Fundraising
Account Management
Click & Pledge’s peer-to-peer fundraising software solution provides added customizability by offering over 20 unique widgets for volunteers to add to their pages. It also makes tracking and managing your volunteers easier through a team portal, where you can evaluate success at-a-glance and conveniently message team members.
Donately is an online solution dedicated to creating innovative and effective online donation forms and fundraising pages. Working with all sorts of nonprofits, churches, businesses, and agencies, this peer-to-peer fundraising software aims to simplify the donation process on both the donors’ end and the organization’s.
A unique feature that Donately offers is its top-of-the-line peer-to-peer fundraising pages. These pages are customized to fit your organization’s branding, but still allow your volunteers to personalize them with their own stories. The result is a cohesive and harmonious page that drives more donations.
Plus, you’ll get access to fundraiser progress tracking bars and social sharing tools to further spread the word about your campaign. With this peer-to-peer fundraising software, you’ll be able to effortlessly expand your donor network.
This peer-to-peer fundraising software solution works with nonprofits, healthcare organizations, and higher education institutions to simplify online giving and assist in raising more for their causes. DonorDrive amplifies the voices of your biggest advocates, who can share their personal stories to expand your donor base and connections.
With a mobile fundraising app, virtual campaign functionality, online donation campaigns, peer-to-peer giving, and more, DonorDrive users have the tools they need to power their missions effectively.
Peer-to-peer donors have access to simplified donation processes to make giving more convenient. They can make recurring gifts and see if their employers will match their gifts, resulting in more donations for your nonprofit. Plus, DonorDrive offers other unique features such as personalized coaching, social media integrations, flexible event configuration, automated communication, and real-time data insights.
Promoting your peer-to-peer fundraising efforts is key to your campaign’s success. By adequately marketing your campaign, you’ll be able to maximize the number of individuals you reach out to and form connections with. Digital marketing will help you enhance the visibility of your campaign, increasing the number of donations you receive.
Getting Attention is a peer-to-peer fundraising solution focused on bringing more attention to your campaign. It does so by helping your nonprofit gain access to and optimize your usage of the Google Ad Grant. Essentially, this program gives your nonprofit $10,000 of free credit to spend on Google Ads, greatly increasing your outreach.
Promote ongoing campaigns and events—including peer-to-peer fundraisers!
However, using the Google Ad Grants program can be difficult for nonprofits without experience in the realm of search engine optimization. That’s where Google Ad Grant agencies like Getting Attention come into play.
Professionals from these agencies bring their experience and expertise to help you generate the impact you want. They offer a variety of services related to Google Ad Grants, including:
By working with a Google Ad Grants professional, you’ll be able to perform targeted outreach that increases awareness and participation in your peer-to-peer campaign. This results in enhanced site engagement and increased recognition, making it an extremely effective peer-to-peer fundraising software for marketing.
7. GiveWP
For nonprofits with blogs run through WordPress, GiveWP is the peer-to-peer fundraising software for you. This solution is a WordPress donation plugin option, making donating more convenient for website visitors. It’s an open-source suite of tools that makes fundraising quick and easy.
GiveWP offers a peer-to-peer add-on that allows volunteers to leverage its features to encourage their networks to make gifts to your nonprofits. A unique offering of theirs is the ability to give donors choices through:
Choosing where their contributions go through the Funds and Designations feature
Using tribute eCards to make gifts in memory of a loved one
Allowing them to opt-in to peer-to-peer marketing newsletters
Other top features of GiveWP’s peer-to-peer platform include fundraising goal progress bars for individuals and teams, social sharing abilities with built-in calls-to-action, and integrated sponsorship information.
iDonate is a modern digital giving solution designed for today’s nonprofits and other charitable organizations to grow their online giving and better reach dedicated supporters. This powerful suite of fundraising software encompasses peer-to-peer fundraising, web and mobile giving, and event management tools to drive results.
This software solution has a focus on optimizing your organization’s growth through the following features:
A/B Split Testing
Recurring Gift Prompt
Personalization
Goal Meters
Their peer-to-peer fundraising platform incorporates top features such as a comprehensive command center and anchor page, campaign management with real-time data metrics, and easy campaign building and editing tools for individual fundraisers.
OneCause is an online fundraising and event solution that has grown from a mobile bidding tool to a comprehensive giving platform with capabilities for online donations, peer-to-peer fundraising, auction and event management, and more. Since its launch, OneCause has raised more than $5 billion in charitable donations from 2.5 million supporters and over 40,000 fundraisers.
This software maximizes peer-to-peer fundraising by making it more social, mobile, and fun. It allows you to design your campaign materials based on the type of peer-to-peer campaign you’re hosting, whether that’s a walk-a-thon, memorial, or virtual campaign.
The OneCause peer-to-peer fundraising platform offers key features such as social media integration, motivation and rewards, flexible branding, and accessible technology to help your nonprofit reach its goals.
Neon Fundraise is a product of Neon One, a nonprofit software company with innovative solutions for donor management, online fundraising, program management, events, web development, and more. With this peer-to-peer fundraising software, it’s easy to take your mission to new heights by creating winning experiences for donors, fundraisers, and staff.
Some of the top features this software solution offers include:
One-click donations
Badges and achievements
Donor accounts
Multi-language and multi-currency capabilities
Compliant receipting
These features all work together to create a smooth donation experience for your volunteers’ friends and family, helping to create a more successful peer-to-peer campaign for your organization. Not only that, but it will also help automate your workflow, making issuing receipts and collecting registrations more efficient.
Qgiv is a powerful fundraising platform designed to assist nonprofit organizations with the tools they need to collect charitable donations online, in person, and over text. The peer-to-peer side of their software includes features such as:
Event management for pledge-based experiences
Intuitive online stores for sponsorships and merchandise
This software solution also allows you to build customizable and virtual events to fit the needs of your peer-to-peer campaign. It also offers branded team and individual fundraising pages, flexible registrations, and progress thermometers to ensure that event attendees and volunteers are engaged and have a great experience fundraising for your community.
Peer-to-peer fundraising can take your nonprofit strategy to the next level. Not only does it allow you to acquire more donations, but it allows you to form connections with a greater number of potential supporters. To ensure your efforts are successful, equip your volunteers with the most effective and intuitive peer-to-peer fundraising software solutions. That way, you’ll maximize the impact of your campaign.
If you’d like to learn more about nonprofit marketing and fundraising, check out these resources:
Google Grants Eligibility: Is Your Nonprofit Eligible? — Interested in applying for the Google Ad Grant to advertise your peer-to-peer fundraiser more effectively? Learn if your nonprofit is eligible in this article.
https://gettingattention.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Peer-to_Peer-Fundraising-Software_Feature.png7001450Jessica Kinghttps://gettingattention.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/getting-attention-logo.svgJessica King2023-08-15 19:09:372024-11-15 14:46:57Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Software: 11 Top Solutions
Most, if not all, nonprofits struggle to retain talent, especially in today’s challenging job market and remote work environment.
Improving employee retention requires an intentional and multifaceted approach. To be successful, your plan must encompass multiple employee touchpoints and a focus on employee engagement strategies.
Employees who feel valued, appreciated, and recognized by their organizations and direct managers are happier with their current situations and more likely to envision a future with their organizations.
The following tips can help boost employee engagement and increase retention:
Improving employee retention is essential for the long-term health and success of your organization. After all, according to Gallup, the cost of replacing an employee can be one-half to two times that employee’s annual salary. Attract top talent and keep them invested in their roles with these key tips.
1. Redirect your compensation efforts
Offering competitive salaries is a challenge for most nonprofits. Frequently, overhead costs must be kept to a minimum, and salary budgets are limited by funding. While replacing employees is costly, many nonprofits simply do not have the resources available to provide increases to pay or pay ranges. Exploring other avenues to address compensation gaps is important.
One approach is to view compensation from a total rewards perspective. Focus on the indirect components of compensation, emphasizing the overall value of the package provided to employees. Indirect compensation includes perks, recognition programs, mental and physical wellness benefits, culture, management styles, and much more.
It is also important to address any inequities in your compensation structure as part of greater diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
2. Focus on career advancement
Another common reason employees leave an organization is a lack of advancement. Often, individuals seek positions elsewhere without fully understanding the developmental paths available with their current employer.
Employees need to feel that they have the ability to move and progress within a company. Meet with your employees to understand their goals and interests. It’s imperative for leadership to communicate about the organization’s plans, how individuals may fit into that plan, and future opportunities that will be provided.
Formalized policies and practices regarding pathways to advancement and promotions are important to retention. A policy of filling open positions from within and laying out a clear process is evidence of commitment to employee growth and development.
3. Provide opportunities for skill development
Furthermore, it’s important to consider various ways of providing opportunities for development. Not all movement needs to be vertical. Lateral moves within an organization can be equally valuable. They allow employees to:
Gain greater insight into the organization
Develop new areas of expertise
Open new doors
Formal training programs are always an option, but they can be expensive and require a significant commitment of time. Leveraging internal expertise to develop new skills and competencies can be an effective and economical way to provide opportunities to develop new skills.
Some common initiatives include lunch and learns, peer mentoring, and preceptorships. This cross-pollination connects people across your organization, building rapport, trust, and camaraderie that deepens their connection to the organization.
4. Understand the pressures on employees
Employees experience stress both in and outside of work. Regardless of the source, the resulting mental fatigue impacts work performance. Society is becoming more in tune and comfortable with discussing and addressing mental illness and stress. Top employers show similar understanding by instituting benefits that help employees better cope.
Examples of employer-provided support include:
Flexible work arrangements
Generous paid time off
Access to mental health services
Educational programs that address common life stressors
Providing resources to support personal and family challenges shows your employees that you value them as people. These benefits and programs evidence an organizational commitment to stand by employees through both significant, life-altering events as well as everyday obligations that may cause chronic stress.
5. Commit to transparency and clear communication
Employees need to know how and why decisions are made. Do not allow the rumor mill or employee imaginations to tell your story. Frequent, honest communication undermines the spread of inaccurate information, allows for understanding, and builds trust between leadership and staff.
Communication should be two-way, not just from leadership down. Build a culture where employees not only expect managers to ask for their input but feel comfortable offering their opinions. Find out what your employees think about important topics, including what they like and dislike about working at your organization.
Common mechanisms for gathering employee perceptions and ideas include:
Town halls
Climate surveys
Team meetings
One-on-one sessions
Stay interviews
Exit interviews
Welcome feedback in a positive fashion, as negative responses will only stifle future participation.
Once you have this information, do not sit on it. If you are going to ask for feedback, it is crucial that you take action. If action is not possible, circle back to employees to explain the decision-making process.
6. Emphasize your calling
Typically, the employees that a nonprofit attracts are passionate about the organization’s mission and have a strong desire to serve. Capitalize on this connection to keep your employees excited about being part of your team.
Integrate your values and mission into everything you do – your culture, policies, and initiatives. When your mission is central to serving your constituents it is also critical to how you treat your employees. A consistent reminder of the good that comes from their efforts will inspire and have an impact on employees’ long-term commitment to your organization.
7. Celebrate employee successes
Besides incorporating a total rewards approach to your organization, you should also focus on ways to acknowledge and celebrate your employees’ successes. This should be done on a standard basis to ensure that anyone on your team can give kudos. Some simple ways you can start showing employee appreciation include:
Encouraging positive ad hoc feedback during one-on-ones. For direct reports, one-on-one meetings with managers can encourage them to feel more comfortable with communicating and receiving feedback. Facilitate this relationship-building by encouraging middle managers to give kudos to directs. Of course, middle managers should only deliver positive feedback when their directs have earned it, but even recognition for little things can go a long way in making employees feel valued.
Promoting peer-to-peer recognition. Create a culture of recognition at your company by making it easy for employees to acknowledge each other for their performance. According to eCardWidget, one effective way to do this is by designing employee recognition eCards that they can personalize. In addition to expressing appreciation, these cards can come in handy for birthdays and personal accomplishments as well.
Formalizing recognition with awards. If you see remarkable improvement or performance from an employee, consider formally congratulating them with a superlative award. For instance, you might give a “Biggest Innovator” award to a team member who transformed your team’s workflow for the better, or a “Stewardship Superstar” award to an employee who has built great donor relationships.
Instituting rewards for hitting goals. Motivating your team members to achieve goals is a lot easier with a prize for them to cross the finish line. Consider offering goal-based rewards on a monthly or quarterly basis to incentivize high performance and engagement with company-wide initiatives. For example, if your nonprofit reaches its fundraising goal by a specified date, you might reward employees with tickets to a concert.
Each nonprofit is different, so your recognition mechanisms will likely vary depending on your budget, goals, and size. However, these methods are tried-and-true and can do wonders for your staff retention efforts.
8. Invest in employee engagement software
While your personal relationship with employees is a crucial part of boosting their engagement, you shouldn’t take on new initiatives empty-handed. There are many software solutions on the market that can help you take your employee engagement strategies to the next level. Consider investing in the following types of software:
Human Resource Management Systems. This software can help you manage employee onboarding, benefits, performance reviews, and feedback systems so you can actively monitor your employees’ well-being.
Learning Management Systems (LMS). Offering professional development opportunities shows your investment in your team’s growth, which incentivizes them to stay with your nonprofit in the long term. LMSs provide online training, class management, and progress tracking to facilitate your team’s development.
Employee appreciation software. There are many types of software that fall under this category. For instance, eCard software can facilitate ad-hoc recognition, especially between peers. Also, rewards software allows you to assign points to staff members for achieving certain goals and track their progress.
Remote work software. Remote work has boomed in popularity because it provides flexibility for your employees and reduces burnout. Plus, most remote work software, such as video conferencing solutions, collaborative document editing platforms, and workflow managers, are user-friendly and cost-effective.
While these solutions are great starting points for your engagement software rollout, they’re far from the only ones available. To pick the best fit for your nonprofit, gauge your current employee engagement tactics and determine whether they could be optimized with software. Then, research the options available and book free demos to see which best fits your needs and budget. Finally, once you’ve picked your ideal product, ensure your team receives robust training so you can hit the ground running with your new platform!
9. Create a corporate giving program
Did you know that 65% of people want to work for companies that prioritize social good? When you create a corporate giving program, you not only help worthy causes but also prove to your employees that your company takes active measures to live up to its values.
Matching gifts. Matching gifts are one of the most popular forms of corporate giving. Companies that offer matching gifts will double—or sometimes even triple—the donations their employees make to their favorite causes. With the help of a matching gift database, your employees can determine their matching gift eligibility and submit matching gift requests to your company. To manage these requests, implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) software. Solutions with matching gift auto-submission capabilities make the process even easier for your employees, so we recommend looking for a CLMA-certified platform (meaning it has this functionality) to manage your programs.
Volunteer grants. Instead of matching donations, companies leveraging volunteer grants contribute to organizations based on the number of hours their employees volunteer with them. For even greater impact, ask your employees which nonprofits they typically volunteer with, and organize a team volunteer outing to support that organization.
Fundraising matches. Fundraising matches are similar to matching gifts, but they match the amount of money employees raise through their individual fundraising efforts. For example, an employee may participate in a walkathon for a breast cancer awareness organization and collect pledges for every mile they walk. Then, that employee can report to their company how much money they’ve raised, and the company will contribute that same amount to the nonprofit.
Automatic payroll deductions. It doesn’t get much easier to engage employees through corporate giving than with automatic payroll deductions. Employees can simply indicate which nonprofit they’d like to donate to and how much they’d like to contribute each month. Then, your payroll system can automatically set aside those funds and distribute them to your employees’ favorite causes.
Annual grant stipends. The concept of annual grant stipends is simple. Companies give their employees a set amount of funds each year for them to contribute to their nonprofits of choice. This type of corporate giving is less common, but it’s an easy way to engage employees in your company’s philanthropic efforts.
When employees feel that they’re not only working for their employer but working with their employer to make the world a better place, they’re more likely to be engaged in their work and stick around.
Wrapping Up
In closing, putting together a retention strategy that addresses your organization’s unique needs can be challenging. It can be helpful to seek guidance from professional HR consultants to identify best practices and help implement change. Whether you decide to seek external assistance or develop your plan in-house, the above tips will point you in the right direction for developing a winning retention plan for your organization.
From capital support to marketing assistance, grants provide many opportunities for boosting the success of your nonprofit. After all, your organization needs steady funding to continue furthering its mission and finding better ways to make a difference in the lives of those you serve.
With the right approach, you can build lasting relationships with grantmakers and secure significant revenue to propel your projects forward. In this guide, we’ll walk through how to find grants for nonprofits in detail, so you have everything you need to begin pursuing these impactful opportunities. Here’s what we’ll cover:
For 11 consecutive years, giving from foundations has grown, reaching a total of $90.88 billion in 2021. This means that it’s an ideal time to start searching for grants that will accelerate your organization’s impact. Let’s get started with all you need to know about finding nonprofit grants.
Grants for Nonprofits: FAQs
Your nonprofit’s long-term success depends on diversifying its funding sources. If you’ve decided that it’s time to add grants to the mix, it’s important to first understand the ins and outs of this type of funding to learn how it will best fit into your current strategy.
What are grants for nonprofits?
Nonprofit grants are financial gifts that grantmaking organizations provide to nonprofits, typically for a specific purpose or initiative.
In order to receive this funding, however, your organization will need to fulfill the grantmaker’s specific requirements and submit an application. It’s ultimately up to the grantmaking organization to decide whether or not they’d like to support your nonprofit.
What types of nonprofit grants are there?
There are several types of nonprofit grants. By understanding how they differ from one another, you’ll be able to focus on the specific grants that best serve the needs of your organization. The five main types of grants include:
Program grants. Program development grants provide funding for specified projects or programs, such as upgrading your nonprofit’s technology. Because of this, they usually have spending restrictions. Recipients of these grants may only use the funds for the exact purpose outlined in their grant proposal.
General operations support. These grants are far less restrictive than program development grants and cover almost any expense for your organization. However, general operations support grants are much rarer in the nonprofit sphere.
Capital grants. These grants are most commonly awarded for specific capital campaigns that involve activities such as building construction, property acquisition, or other large-scale projects.
Research grants. For academia and research-oriented nonprofits, research grants support their scientific research and are often attached to a specific team member in the organization.
In-kind grants. In-kind grants provide non-monetary assistance, such as equipment, supplies, or free counseling and personnel. The Google Ad Grants program, for instance, is a popular in-kind grant opportunity that offers nonprofits a monthly allowance of $10,000 in Google Ads credit.
Since each type of grant contributes to the success of your organization in a different way, be sure to keep these distinctions in mind when finding nonprofit grants. This ensures that you only apply for the opportunities that will benefit your nonprofit the most.
Where do grants for nonprofits come from?
When looking for grants to apply for, you need to learn to distinguish between the various sources of grant funding to set your organization up for success. The most common sources of nonprofit grants are:
The Government
There are various levels in the government grant funnel that offer valuable funding opportunities. For instance, nonprofits across the country can receive federal grants. However, nonprofits can only apply for state grants in the particular state to which they belong. Local grants are further limited to a specific community or district within a state.
There are no restrictions on how many government grants a nonprofit can research and pursue. As long as you’ve determined that your organization meets the eligibility criteria, you can apply for as many of these opportunities as you see fit.
Foundations
These organizations play a significant role in supporting nonprofits, accounting for 19% of all charitable giving in 2021. The two main categories of foundations are private foundations and public charities, though organizations in both categories supply grant funds to nonprofits.
While a private foundation typically acquires its funds from a single individual or a family, public charities receive financial support from a variety of sources, including government agencies and program service fees. Some of the most notable foundations that provide funding opportunities to nonprofit organizations include the Ford Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Corporations
Corporate grants are a vital source of funding for nonprofits, providing financial support for programs, initiatives, and services that align with a company’s philanthropic goals. Unlike sponsorships or donations, corporate grants are typically more structured and formal, often requiring nonprofits to submit detailed applications or proposals. These grants can be targeted toward specific projects, operating costs, or capacity-building efforts, making them an important component of a nonprofit’s funding strategy.
As a result, many corporations allocate portions of their profits toward their corporate giving initiatives. The Google Ad Grants program is a clear example of a large corporation offering resources and assistance to nonprofits, with Google donating valuable ad space that most businesses pay thousands of dollars to obtain.
Some businesses also offer matching gifts and corporate volunteer grants, which provide funding to nonprofits after an employee gives to or volunteers a certain number of hours with the organization. Over 65% of Fortune 500 companies offer these programs, including Microsoft, Disney, Bank of America, FedEx, Home Depot, and more.
Federated Funds
Local businesses and company employees raise these funds to distribute to nonprofits. This type of “community chest” model can be a significant source of revenue. While it’s often easy for donors to give to federated funds, it’s crucial for organizations to apply for this funding early to increase their chances of securing some of these resources.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of grants?
As with any fundraising initiative, it’s necessary to weigh the pros and cons before you start pursuing nonprofit grant opportunities. Some important considerations include:
Advantages:
Essentially, grants provide “free money” to nonprofits.
Grants can power significant structural projects, enabling organizations to achieve large-scale social impact and further their overall missions.
Securing one grant makes it more likely to secure more in the future, since it builds your organization’s credibility.
Grants can boost your nonprofit’s visibility and reach, allowing you to win the trust of current and prospective donors.
Disadvantages:
The process of finding nonprofit grants and applying for them can be time-consuming, since writing effective grant proposals requires skills and thought.
It can be challenging to manage various expectations associated with receiving and managing a grant, such as reporting requirements.
Many grants, such as program development grants, come with conditions and funding restrictions.
Fortunately, your nonprofit can cut down on many of these disadvantages by addressing them upfront. For instance, adopting grant management software can make it easier to keep track of all of your grant-related efforts, saving you time and energy in the process.
Should I apply for a nonprofit grant?
Once you’ve considered nonprofit grant types, their common sources, and their associated advantages and disadvantages, it’s time to determine whether your organization should apply for these funding opportunities. Use these questions to guide you:
Are you able to invest the necessary time and effort into writing a winning grant application?
Are the activities you’re planning to undertake with grant funding consistent with your nonprofit’s mission and overall strategy?
Can you continue these activities after grant funding has ended?
How would a grant be vital to the success of your nonprofit or initiative?
Do you have enough qualified staff in place to implement your initiative?
How will grants fit into your overall fundraising strategy?
Do you have proven positive outcomes related to past work that you can show grantmakers?
Keep your nonprofit’s short- and long-term goals in mind when searching for and deciding to apply for grants. Make the most of your efforts by focusing only on opportunities that match your specific needs. For instance, if you’re hoping to leverage grant money to enhance your marketing, you might consider applying for the Google Ad Grant, which will supply you with funds to spend on digital ads.
How to Find Grants for Nonprofits: 5 Steps
The process of finding grants that are the right fit for your organization does not have to be complicated or confusing. By following these steps, you’ll be well on your way to securing funds that will amplify your nonprofit’s impact.
1. Know Your Goals and Mission
Take the time to clearly define your nonprofit’s goals. There may be numerous grant opportunities available, but only some of them will actually empower your organization to achieve those goals.
Additionally, keep your mission centered in your search. By finding grantmakers that align with your mission and values, you’ll increase your chances of securing the funds and avoid spending unnecessary time pursuing opportunities that don’t match your priorities.
2. Do Your Research
You’ll need to conduct some extensive research to narrow down grant opportunities that are suitable for your nonprofit. Get started by exploring some of these resources:
Existing connections your staff or board members may have
Local grants that only support nonprofits in your area
Previous grantmakers that have supplied funding to your nonprofit
Organizations that have provided grants to nonprofits similar to yours
Grant directories and databases
When sifting through these sources, identify whether each grant meets your nonprofit’s needs and aligns with your mission. Additionally, it’s essential to have a specific budget outlined for the project or initiative you’re hoping to accomplish with grant funding. This will help you sift through opportunities more precisely and facilitate your application process down the line.
3. Develop a Clear Grant Proposal
As a grant applicant, it’s crucial to develop a proposal that demonstrates why your nonprofit is most deserving of the funds. Remember to:
Be specific. State your organization’s goals and mission clearly. Be explicit as to how grant funding will help you to accomplish those goals by listing the specific projects or initiatives the funding will support.
Be concise. Get right to the point in your application, so reviewers don’t feel the need to skim and potentially miss out on important details.
Refer to data. Leverage your nonprofit’s data to highlight the impact you’ve already created in your beneficiaries’ lives, so grantmakers can understand the potential your organization has to make an even greater difference with more funding.
Focus on the grant’s impact. Lay out the direct impact that you anticipate grant funds will empower your nonprofit to make in your community. This can also help you determine how you’ll measure these outcomes to comply with any reporting requirements.
The research you conduct will provide essential context that will guide your approach to each proposal. To further hone your proposal writing skills, consider searching for past successful applications online and making note of their strengths.
4. Review Your Grant Application
Before submitting your grant application, read through it from a reviewer’s perspective. This ensures that you don’t miss any important details that someone outside of your organization may need to understand your proposal.
Keep in mind that grantmakers will reference sources beyond your grant application to inform their decision. Therefore, be sure to demonstrate your nonprofit’s impact on your website, social media channels, and any other platforms reviewers may look at.
Furthermore, don’t hesitate to engage with grantmakers before submitting your applications. Whether you reach out through social media, email, phone calls, or in-person meetings, cultivating relationships with grantmakers can be crucial to securing funds both now and in the future.
5. Prioritize Proper Grant Management
After your nonprofit has received a grant, there are several best practices to follow to make the most of this opportunity. To optimize your outcomes:
Ensure all of your team members understand the project or initiative’s goals, steps, and strategy.
Submit reports in a timely manner.
Be straightforward about successes and challenges throughout the project’s duration.
Effective grant management allows your nonprofit to build a positive reputation among grantmakers and maintain strong, productive relationships with organizations that have chosen to support you.
Now that you understand how to find grants for nonprofits, explore these four best practices to maximize your success. The more preparation you invest in the process, the better your outcomes will be.
1. Use the 3-Way Fit Test
The 3-way Fit Test is a useful tool for eliminating leads that are poor matches. The three ways are:
Philanthropic fit. Make sure the grantmakers are offering the type of funding you are looking for, such as programs, projects, general operating support, or capital. This way, you’ll ensure that you receive the type of help you need.
Geographic fit. Grantmakers typically choose to support nonprofits located in specific geographic areas. Focus on grantmaking organizations that fund the area you serve to increase your odds of winning the grant.
Programmatic fit. Consider the funder’s mission, goals, and areas of interest, and ensure that they align with your own. For instance, if you’re planning to launch a new program to support people who are homeless, appeal to grantmakers with similar missions, rather than, say, an environmental organization.
By only concentrating on the grantmakers that fit all three of these criteria, your nonprofit will be able to spend its time and resources wisely to get the most out of your efforts.
2. Learn About the Funder
Beyond researching each specific grant’s requirements, it’s critical to learn more about the grantmaking organization. This will allow you to gauge its likelihood of funding your nonprofit and help you tailor your grant proposal to appeal to its specific interests. Review materials such as their IRS Form 990 and eligibility guidelines. For instance, Google lays out very detailed eligibility requirements for the Ad Grants program.
For grantmakers who don’t have all of their information in one centralized location online, use these questions to guide your research:
What are their mission and current funding priorities?
How much grant money or resources do they have available?
What are their funding patterns?
Do they encourage grant applicants to contact them beforehand?
These are just a few potential questions to consider, so feel free to expand on this list to uncover more details pertinent to your grant application process.
3. Build Meaningful Connections
While conducting your research, consider reaching out to the funder to ask any clarifying questions. Some baseline questions include:
What is your selection process?
Have your submission instructions undergone any recent changes not shown on your website?
What is an appropriate amount to request in a proposal for someone who has never been funded by your organization?
Directly contacting the grantmaker will kickstart a meaningful relationship with the organization. This could give you an advantage when it comes time for the funder to review grant proposals, as you will be kept top of mind.
4. Recruit Expert Help
If your organization has limited time and resources to devote to finding nonprofit grants, consider recruiting a consultant to assist with your efforts. There are plenty of professional agencies dedicated to helping your nonprofit maximize the funding it receives to further its purpose. Getting Attention, for instance, is a Google Grants agency that can effectively get your organization up and running with the program.
If you’re interested in applying for the Google Ad Grants program and partnering with experts to handle the process, look out for key services such as:
Google Ad Grant application assistance
Google Grant account management
Data tracking and ensuring compliance
Oftentimes, a nonprofit grant consultant will do all of the research and apply on your organization’s behalf, so you don’t have to worry about how to find grants that fit your specific needs. Just be sure to maintain open communication with your consultant so that everyone is on the same page.
Finding Grants for Nonprofits: 13 Resources
Ready to hit the ground running with finding nonprofit grants? Here are multiple resources to get you started:
Google Ad Grants
Google should be one of your nonprofit’s first stops when it comes to researching impactful grants to support your initiatives. The Google Ad Grants program provides eligible organizations with $329 in daily ad spending, or $10,000 a month, to bid on keywords that will promote essential pages on your website to current and potential supporters online.
Like any other grant, the Google Ad Grant comes with detailed eligibility criteria and a specific application process. To maximize your nonprofit’s chances of success, it’s best to prepare ahead of time and develop a thorough understanding of the program. Luckily, there are quite a few expert resources online for training you and your staff on Google Ad Grants.
Grants.gov contains over 1000 grant programs offered by all federal grantmaking agencies and allows you to search its database by selecting criteria such as eligibility requirements and category. Additionally, the website contains numerous guides such as FAQs and training videos for grant applicants.
Candid’s Foundation Directory
Candid’s Foundation Directory allows nonprofits to discover funders that may not be easily found on search engines. While you’ll need a subscription to access this resource, Candid offers its subscribers useful tools that assess whether a funder is a good match, track communications with funders, and more.
Philanthropy News Digest
Your nonprofit can search for published grant announcements on Philanthropy News Digest by signing up for a free weekly email that lists newly posted requests for proposals (RFPs). However, be sure to check other resources for more grant opportunities, since less than 1% of foundations publish RFPs.
Regional Giving Dashboards
Candid’s Regional Giving Dashboards provide at-a-glance information on top grantmakers and their funding priorities for 20 different states. You can click on each individual state to explore and even download this data for future reference.
Foundation Landscapes
By partnering with funders and philanthropy networks, Candid developed free custom web portals that display grants available to nonprofits focusing on select issues. These issues include human rights, disaster philanthropy, and early childhood care and education. Since these portals are constantly being updated, they can show you, in real time, the funders and recipients working in your nonprofit’s specific area of work.
Guidestar
The Guidestar directory includes a database of Form 990s. Additionally, you can find the names of nonprofits that a grantmaking organization funded during the filing period, the dollar amount given, and sometimes a brief description of the grant’s purpose. This can help you determine if the organization is likely to fund a nonprofit like yours, which can speed up the application process.
GrantStation
GrantStation is a funder database that produces two useful newsletters: a weekly one that lists recent U.S. grant opportunities and a monthly one that lists international grant opportunities. You can access these for free through other subscriptions/memberships, such as the Grant Professionals Association.
GrantsforUS
On the GrantsforUS website, you can find information about recently released U.S. grant opportunities that you can filter by different categories. Furthermore, you can sign up for free Grant Alerts to effortlessly stay up to date on grants that your nonprofit may be interested in.
Grant Gopher
Grant Gopher is a funding opportunity database that offers U.S. organizations free basic searches and access to the details of their first five search results. Additionally, you can access a newsletter covering a selection of open grant opportunities.
GrantWatch
GrantWatch is a directory of grants that are currently accepting grant applications. You can filter your searches by category, location, type of funding source, and recipient, though the website does charge a small subscription fee for you to access the specific details of each grant.
SAM.gov
This government grant directory provides a full listing of federal programs across all government agencies that provide grants, loans, or other types of assistance to organizations. You can search for relevant opportunities in the search bar and save or download any of your searches to refer back to later.
The Federal Register (FR)
The Federal Register announces newly authorized and/or funded programs, annual application deadlines, and award amounts for continuing programs daily.
Additional Resources
There is an abundance of grant opportunities for your nonprofit to tap into—what matters most is finding the best matches for your organization. While the process requires you to be thorough and precise, once you’ve mastered how to find nonprofit grants, you’ll be able to secure significant funds to power your growth and mission.
Remember that you don’t have to go through finding and applying for grants alone. Reach out to grant professionals, like Getting Attention, for first-rate guidance in maximizing your grant-seeking efforts.
To learn more about securing online support for your nonprofit, explore these additional resources:
Demystifying the Google Ad Grants Website Policy: A Guide. A high-quality website is not only essential for attracting and retaining supporters, but it can make all the difference in securing the Google Ad Grant for your nonprofit. Discover more in this guide.
https://gettingattention.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/How-to-Find-Grants_Feature-Compressed.png10002060Jessica Kinghttps://gettingattention.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/getting-attention-logo.svgJessica King2023-07-28 23:54:392025-01-27 20:26:37How to Find Grants for Nonprofits: A Guide to Free Funding
As a nonprofit professional, you know how important it is to have a steady flow of revenue coming into your organization. Rather than counting on just one or two sources of funding (and potentially leaving money on the table), you need to diversify your revenue streams.
Think of revenue streams like eggs in a basket. As the old saying goes, you can’t bet on just fundraising event success or your annual peer-to-peer fundraising campaign to power your day-to-day operations. By incorporating multiple revenue streams into your fundraising strategy (or putting your eggs into multiple baskets!) you can increase your financial sustainability and expand your budget to pursue larger, high-impact projects. In this blog post, we will explore three revenue streams that can enhance your nonprofit’s fundraising strategy and help you generate more funds while expanding your donor base:
Multiple revenue streams can help your organization better serve its community and carry out its mission. Let’s begin.
Text-to-Give
To break through the noise online and engage donors directly, your nonprofit needs a strong fundraising channel that feels familiar to donors and makes the donation process simple. One innovative platform to do so is text-to-give.
Text-to-give is a powerful fundraising tool that allows nonprofits to connect with supporters and motivate them to give. Because text-to-give is used via a donor’s cellphone, nonprofits can reach supporters immediately. In fact, text messages have a 99% open rate and a 90% read rate in just 3 minutes.
According to Tatango’s guide to text-to-give, text messaging your supporters can be used to accomplish several key initiatives:
To encourage supporters to donate towards campaigns
To provide transparency about the impact of your fundraisers and show donors how their contributions make a difference
To encourage donations leading up to big events
By leveraging text-to-give, organizations can engage donors in real-time and streamline the entire donation experience. Here’s a breakdown of how this process works:
Your nonprofit invests in a nonprofit text messaging platform that comes with features like fast messaging speeds, security for your data and campaigns, and subscriber segmentation. You’ll be given a short- or long-code, and then you can brainstorm a creative and relevant keyword.
Donors opt-in to receive your text messages by texting your keyword to the short- or long-code.
Your nonprofit sends donation appeals with a mobile-friendly link to your donation page.
Donors click the donation page link and submit their donation in just a few moments right from their phones.
The intuitive user-friendliness of text-to-give makes it easy for donors to contribute directly from their mobile devices, increasing the likelihood of immediate and spontaneous giving. Because text-to-donate can also be used to nurture donor relations long-term, you can turn donors into recurring contributors to your mission. Text messaging campaigns can also be utilized to promote events, volunteer opportunities, and other initiatives. By incorporating text-to-give into your fundraising strategy, you can tap into the widespread use of mobile devices and reach supporters wherever they are.
Online Donation Page
Your nonprofit’s online donation page serves as a central hub for accepting contributions. Optimizing your donation page design is crucial to ensuring a seamless and compelling donation experience for your supporters.
To maximize its effectiveness, consider the following three easy-to-implement strategies:
Add high-impact visuals: Incorporate photos and videos that speak to your mission, align with your brand guidelines, and highlight the impact of donations. Visual content captures supporters’ attention and creates an emotional connection with potential donors.
Utilize storytelling: Craft compelling narratives that highlight beneficiaries. Position donors as the heroes in your story and demonstrate how their contributions can make a difference. This approach allows supporters to feel connected to your cause and motivates them to take action.
Simplify the donation process: Streamline your donation form to minimize the number of required fields and steps. A shorter and more comprehensive form increases the likelihood of supporters completing the donation process. Additionally, prominently display your text-to-give keyword and code on the donation page to offer an alternative giving option.
Make sure to market your online donation page widely so donors know how to give. The Double the Donation guide to digital marketing for nonprofits recommends leveraging a multi-channel marketing strategy to increase touchpoints with potential donors and boost visibility. For example, you can share your donation page link in your social media bio and your email newsletter.
Recurring Giving
Nonprofit fundraisers constantly strive for steady revenue streams and lasting donor relationships—both of which can be achieved through the power of recurring giving. Recurring giving is when donors give to your organization on a regular basis, such as monthly, to support your ongoing annual fundraising efforts.
With a well-structured recurring giving program and the right payment processor, the recurring giving amount will automatically be taken out from donors’ bank accounts each month and transferred to your nonprofit. It’s that simple! You just need to get donors on board with recurring giving by explaining its convenience and how ongoing donations make an impact on the community you serve.
The following strategies can elevate your recurring giving program:
Send personalized donation requests to sign up for monthly giving. You can do this over email, direct mail, or text by leveraging your text messaging software. Make sure you use a text messaging platform that has extensive segmentation capabilities so you can tailor your donation requests to the individual.
Communicate the impact of your mission. Share stories and testimonials that highlight the tangible outcomes of recurring giving. Show donors how their ongoing support contributes to the long-term success of your organization and the beneficiaries you serve. For instance, you might generate social media content that shows the latest program you were able to host in the community because of recurring donors’ support.
Create a dedicated landing page that goes into the details of your recurring giving program so donors know what it’s all about when they visit your website.
Once donors sign up for recurring giving, you can incentivize them to stay involved by creating an exclusive recurring donor club, offering nonprofit merchandise, and publicly thanking them for their support.
Wrapping Up
Diversifying revenue streams is essential for the financial health and sustainability of all kinds of organizations, from higher education institutions to nonprofits. By incorporating text-to-give, optimizing your online donation page, and promoting recurring giving, you can strengthen your fundraising strategy and create a more stable foundation for your organization. Track the performance of each revenue stream to assess your progress and make necessary adjustments.
https://gettingattention.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Copy-of-Tatango-Getting-Attention-3-Revenue-Streams-to-Strengthen-Your-Fundraising-Strategy-Feature.jpg4081163Jessica Kinghttps://gettingattention.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/getting-attention-logo.svgJessica King2023-07-28 16:56:442024-11-15 14:47:463 Revenue Streams to Strengthen Your Fundraising Strategy
A well-defined and recognizable brand can do wonders for any organization or business. Recent studies have shown that 26% of nonprofits have rebranded in the past two years — and of these, around half (47%) have already seen an increase in revenue. This means that if you think your branding could be improved, you’re probably right.
To help you learn how to take your nonprofit branding strategy to the next level this guide will cover:
At Getting Attention, nonprofit marketing is our specialty. By harnessing the power of the Google Ad Grant, we connect nonprofits with the right audiences to drive impact and build support.
Why Does Nonprofit Branding Matter?
It takes anywhere from 17 to 50 milliseconds for people to form a first impression about your brand. Use a bulletproof nonprofit branding strategy to make the most of these precious few seconds.
Effective branding makes your nonprofit more easily recognized. This directly affects whether people see your messaging and feel compelled to take action.
This is why it’s so important to create branded content and messaging. With the right strategy, supporters can build a relationship with your brand and instantly recognize and trust it. Think about the American Red Cross—as soon as you see it, you know exactly who this organization is and what they do. To summarize, nonprofit branding is important because it:
Differentiates your organization: Your nonprofit should be recognized for your own incredible work, which means it’s important to stand out from other similar organizations. Therefore, your brand will need to be representative of your organization’s unique values and mission.
Cultivates trust: Effective and consistent branding ensures individuals that your organization is legitimate and well-known. The more they see your logo or hear your name, the better.
Increases social awareness: The more people see your branding, the more people will know about your mission and need.
Builds a solid reputation: When your nonprofit brand touches your entire community, supporters will much more easily regard you as trustworthy and highly reputable.
Thoughtful branding execution is an ongoing process. Your nonprofit branding strategy is made of several moving parts that must be managed to create a memorable These moving parts are consolidated into your nonprofit brand guide.
Essential Nonprofit Brand Guide Components to Improve
Who is your organization? A descriptive answer to this question should be captured in your nonprofit brand guide.
This document contains your brand “rules” and ensures that your marketing team is on the same page concerning all components. Without these rules, your branding will be inconsistent and unrepresentative. Your brand guide should be detailed and include use cases for both digital marketing and print materials.
Here is what to include for both messaging and visual elements:
Your Name
It’s common to have different names depending on which region your headquarters occupy. Additionally, some organizations decide to go by acronyms. Take M.A.D.D. or Mothers Against Drunk Driving for example. In this case, the acronym carries an emotional meaning that underlies the group’s cause. Most likely, you’ve already landed on your nonprofit name. To test its effectiveness, ask these questions:
Hopefully, you have answered “yes” to the above questions. If not, it’s time to re-evaluate your nonprofit name to be sure it accurately reflects your organization’s values.
Mission statement
Your mission statement is the core purpose of your nonprofit organization. When crafting your own nonprofit mission statement, make sure to include WHY your nonprofit exists, WHO your nonprofit is helping, and HOW your nonprofit serves them. Your WHY of your mission statement explains your vision, or how your organization would like positive change the world.
For example, The Nature Conservancy captures its mission and vision statement in a memorable and concrete way:
Mission: “To conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.”
Vision: “A world where the diversity of life thrives, and people act to conserve nature for its own sake and its ability to fulfill our needs and enrich our lives.”
The above points answer WHAT the organization is helping (lands and waters) and WHY (to increase the diversity of life). The Nature Conservancy’s “See Our Priorities” link captures the HOW of their nonprofit mission and breaks it down into goals to meet by 2030.
Tone
Your tone describes how you communicate as an organization. Are you urgent or excited? Welcoming or focused? Your chosen tone is an aspect of your overall nonprofit personality and should be representative of how you approach your cause.
A practical application of tone is your tagline. It should be short, catchy, and representative of your mission. For instance, the Montana Historical Society uses the tagline “Big sky, Big land. Big history” to encompass its promise to uphold Montana tradition.
Color
The colors you choose for your nonprofit branding can greatly influence how your audience feels when they see your organization out and about online or in person. When determining the best colors to represent your brand, try to think of the emotions that colors evoke.
For instance, green is often associated with nature while red is associated with passion or urgency. To get a full view of brand color associations, refer to this guide:
Red: Represents energy, urgency, and passion. Many health-related organizations use this color.
Purple: Evokes royalty and creativity. It can also evoke stability as many religious organizations use this color.
Blue: Exhibits trustworthiness, openness, and faith. Human rights organizations use blue to back their missions of providing humanitarian aid.
Gray: Indicates simplicity and neutrality. Organizations that use this color offer a calmer aesthetic.
Green: Pictures growth and stability. Many conservation-based or environmental organizations tie in their values with green.
Yellow: Elicits a playful or urgent emotional response. Yellow is also used to demand attention and spread awareness.
Orange: Encompasses a friendly and warm tone. Wildlife rescue groups commonly use this color.
Pink: Represents creativity and innovation. Many movements in the 2SLGBTQ+ utilize this color.
Black: Indicates boldness and seriousness. Several justice groups use this color to mobilize their mission.
As you finalize your color palette, be mindful of existing color associations. For example, pink is also tied to the breast cancer awareness movement. Other considerations include political party and international color meanings.
It’s best to choose one primary color and 2-3 secondary colors to complement it. This way, your branding will remain simple and impactful.
Logo
Your logo is the center of your brand. It’s the image that people remember most and will recognize the easiest. Using your logo consistently helps create an association to your brand and builds the relationship supporters have with your nonprofit’s content. There are three types of logos to consider:
Wordmark logos include your nonprofit name and can be more useful if your organization is not well-known
Symbol logos include only the symbol of a nonprofit such as the YMCA’s “Y” symbol.
Combination marks capture your mission by showing your name and a symbol. These are the most common logo type.
Whichever you choose, ensure your logo evokes the right emotion and is communicative of your mission.
Typography
Your font choices should align with your colors and logo. Sans serif fonts are a popular choice due to their readability and straightforwardness.
Consider selecting two fonts from the same family with different weights to add hierarchy to your visual brand. Use the heavier font weight for headlines and the lighter font for descriptions.
5 Nonprofit Branding Strategy Best Practices
Now that you’ve nailed your nonprofit brand guide, it’s time to explore how to use it to turn more heads and inspire greater support. Consider these best practices to catapult your nonprofit branding forward, connect with your audience, and deliver your messaging in ways that inspire support:
Make your branding stand out: There are more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations registered in the U.S. alone. Find ways to make your nonprofit stand out from the crowd to garner the necessary support. This is especially important for nonprofits with similar missions.
Craft a compelling story: As you now know, nonprofit branding is more than just what your website and social media posts look like. It involves how you connect and communicate your stories. To take your branding to the next level, consider employing nonprofit storytelling methods. This is one of the most powerful ways to build your brand, cultivate trust with your audience, and promote your mission.
Use branding on multiple channels: Branding should represent your organization consistently regardless of its platform. The marketing channels you use are incredibly important especially if you want to build relationships with donors and reach new prospects. Make your branding consistent on every channel so that supporters can recognize you immediately and continue their relationship with your brand.
Update branding as needed: As with any marketing effort, it’s important to collect data and track its success to learn if there’s anything that needs to be improved or optimized. To ensure your branding stays on track and helps you meet goals, we recommend compiling regular reports and following metrics like social media interactions and email open rates.
Apply for the Google Grant — One of the best ways to build your branding strategy and connect with supporters is to apply for the Google Ad Grant! With this grant, nonprofit organizations receive $10,000 in Google ad credits each month. Plus, all eligible nonprofits who apply can receive this grant, not just a select few like with most other grants. Use your Google ads to build your brand and reach more people, faster.
Your nonprofit branding strategy impacts many aspects of your marketing efforts and donor relationships. Leverage these best practices to ensure that your branding not only represents your organization and mission effectively but that you’re able to incorporate it into key messaging and connect with supporters in valuable ways.
5 Smart Nonprofit Branding Examples
Sometimes the best way to visualize your nonprofit brand is by being inspired by other successful brands in your space. Analyzing what makes their branding so memorable and effective will help you learn the ropes or enhance your existing branding.
To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of the top five nonprofit brands to watch. We’ve included a snapshot of each’s colors, logos, and messaging, so you can see how each organization weaves its messaging into its brand.
Oxfam is a humanitarian organization dedicated to ending inequality. They call on supporters to fight injustice and poverty as one united community. Here’s what their branding looks like:
Mission statement: “Equal treatment free from discrimination. Equal rights under the law. Equal opportunities to build a life and thrive. For everyone.”
Colors: Warm green and white
Logo: Green simplistic ox
Tagline: “The future is equal”
Oxfam’s branding reflects its values. The warm green exudes a friendly and welcoming personality that invites everyone to join in their movement. The soft logo does not include divisions or harsh lines as a reminder that everyone deserves a chance to thrive, not just survive. Additionally, Oxfam focuses on the word “equal” in its messaging to echo its mission statement.
Feeding America is the largest hunger relief organization in the United States and represents a nationwide network of food banks and pantries. Their vision is to create a hunger-free nation. Here’s a glimpse of their branding:
Mission statement:Our mission is to advance change in America by ensuring equitable access to nutritious food for all in partnership with food banks, policymakers, supporters, and the communities we serve.
Logo: Wordmark with wheat symbol
Tagline: “Our vision is an America where no one is hungry”
Colors: Orange, dark green
Feeding America’s mission statement is perfectly captured in its branding materials. Its inclusion of wheat and use of warm, inviting colors signal its promise to end hunger. The use of orange is also commonly used in relation to commercial food logos, mimicking Feeding America’s vision to provide meals for those in need.
Charity: water is an organization dedicated to increasing clean drinking water access. Founded in 2006, it has been working to help end the water crisis through local partners and supporters. Here is how they use their story to capture their branding:
Mission statement:“To bring clean and safe drinking water to every person on the planet”
Logo: Jerry can
Tagline: “Together, we end the water crisis”
Colors: Yellow and black
Charity: water’s jerry can has become famous in the nonprofit logo world because it represents the work this nonprofit does in a succinct and memorable way. Millions of developing communities rely on jerry cans for clean drinking water transport. Therefore, the inclusion of this symbol speaks to charity: water’s promise to bring safe drinking water to its beneficiaries.
Nonprofit Branding Example 4: The Backpack Project
The Backpack Project (TBP) is a student-run organization dedicated to easing the burden of homelessness by delivering backpacks containing food, toiletries, and other necessities to those experiencing homelessness. Here’s how their brand echoes this sentiment:
Mission statement:“to contribute to the collective effort that characterizes homelessness “rare and brief.”
Logo: Backpack zipper
Tagline: Easing the Burden of Homelessness
Colors: Light green and gray
TBP’s branding’s star feature is its simplicity. Rather than featuring a stuffed bag to visualize the nonprofit’s mission, TBP features only a zipper to get its message across. The zipper is a nod to the backpack, but also a hope that more people experiencing homelessness will be able to “unzip” a better future where they can characterize their experience as “rare and brief.”
Pencils of Promise is committed to providing quality education to children in need. They provide teacher support, WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) programs, and quality infrastructure to enhance learning environments. Here is how their brand captures their values:
Mission statement:“Every child should have access to quality education. We create schools, programs, and global communities around the common goal of education for all.”
Logo: Yellow pencil combination mark
Tagline:“We are the Impossible Ones”
Colors: black and yellow
Pencils of Promise’s simple logo goes for the obvious without becoming intrusive. The pencil shape tells people immediately that this organization is education-centered. Pencils of Promise’s language is also bold and hopeful as reflected in its choice of bright yellow and stark black (which are also the colors of a classic No. 2 pencil!).
Additional Resources
There’s a common misconception that nonprofit branding only refers to your organization’s aesthetics. However, it extends beyond color palettes and fonts, as your brand messaging can directly impact your nonprofit’s marketing and fundraising success. If you want to reach your supporters where they are and spread awareness of your mission, having an effective branding strategy is essential.
To continue your research in learning how to push your nonprofit forward, we encourage you to explore our additional resources for nonprofit branding and marketing:
13+ Simple and Effective Tips for Google Ads Optimization
/in Google Ad Grants, Nonprofit Communications /by Jessica KingGoogle Ads are an incredibly useful tool for expanding your organization’s reach and driving conversions. Plus, eligible nonprofits can take advantage of this resource at no cost through the Google Ad Grants program, which provides applicants with $10,000 in advertising credits each month. This way, you can spread the word about your mission and encourage new audiences to get involved.
To make the most of this nonprofit advertising opportunity, you shouldn’t take a set-it-and-forget-it approach. Instead, revisit your strategy often and look for ways to optimize your Google Ads for maximum effectiveness.
In this guide, you’ll learn the basics of Google Ads optimization, as well as 13 top tips to help you get started. Here’s what we’ll cover:
At Getting Attention, we understand the importance of a strong Google Ads strategy for nonprofits like yours to promote their missions. Our team specializes in Google Ad Grants management, helping nonprofits worldwide optimize their search ads. As you implement the strategies in this guide, don’t hesitate to reach out for expert help at any stage of the optimization process. Let’s dive in!
What Is Google Ads Optimization?
Google Ads optimization is the ongoing process of refining and improving your organization’s Google Ads to improve results and achieve your goals.
As the world’s largest and most widely used online advertising platform, Google Ads have helped countless organizations further their missions. Continuing to re-evaluate the ways you leverage this tool over time comes with a variety of benefits, including:
For nonprofits participating in the Google Ad Grant program, an additional benefit of Google Ads optimization is Google Ad Grants policy compliance. Your Google Ads must follow certain rules for your organization to maintain eligibility for the grant, and regularly optimizing your account allows you to check for and fix any aspects of your campaigns that may be out of line with Google’s guidelines. This way, you can ensure that your Google Ads continue to be a valuable part of your nonprofit’s marketing strategy.
Google Ads Optimization Tips Overview
Now that you know why Google Ads optimization is important, let’s dive into our top 13 tips for getting started:
We’ve broken these tips into categories to make them easier for your organization to implement, and the first category we’ll cover is optimizing your overarching Google Ads strategy.
Google Ads Optimization Strategy Tips
Although you likely developed a strategy for leveraging the platform when you first created your account, ensuring this strategy aligns with your nonprofit’s goals will help you maximize your Google Ad Grant over time.
1. Evaluate Your Current Ads
The first step to optimizing your Google Ads campaigns is to evaluate your current ad performance to see what is working and where you have room to improve. To do this, pay attention to four key metrics:
You can access reports on all of these metrics in your nonprofit’s Google Analytics account. The program will even break down the report by time of day, providing even more insight into when your ads perform best.
2. Find and Fill Opportunity Gaps
Using the metrics above to evaluate your current ads can also help you identify opportunities that you haven’t yet taken advantage of or gaps in your strategy that need to be filled. In particular, this process can help you notice lost impressions, which are missed impression opportunities between you and your audience. Analyzing your lost impressions report can help you prioritize the ads that have the most potential to convert.
Additionally, you should regularly compare your Google Ad Grants strategy to your organization’s overarching goals. For instance, if your nonprofit has set a goal to boost online donations by 20% this coming year, you might put more effort into improving and expanding the reach of your Google Ads that link back to the donation form on your website.
Google Ads Optimization Keyword Tips
Keywords are the words or phrases that Google users type into the search bar. When you create a Google Ads campaign, you’ll attach keywords to your ads to trigger their appearance on the SERP when users search those keywords.
Here are three tips to help you optimize your Google Ads keywords for maximum reach.
3. Choose Specific, Relevant Keywords
Your keywords should be closely related to your mission and the desired action attached to each of your Google Ads. This way, you can get your ads in front of the users who are most likely to convert.
Following the Google Ad Grant policies for keywords not only ensures your account is in compliance with the rules, but it’s also helpful in optimizing your strategy. Google’s requirements include:
By choosing high-quality, relevant keywords, your ads can effectively engage users who are actively searching for information related to your mission and work. Leverage Google Keyword Planner and other keyword research tools to help you create the most effective strategy for your nonprofit.
4. Consider Keywords’ Search Intent
In addition to keyword quality and relevance, thinking about search intent is essential for getting your Google Ads in front of users who would be interested in them. While there are a variety of reasons why someone would search for different keywords on Google, some of the most common search intents that your nonprofit might target with ads include:
Depending on the keyword’s intent, you can direct audiences who click on your ad to different landing pages. Educational keywords often lend themselves to promoting blog articles, downloadable resources, or case studies. Searchers of navigational keywords usually want to be directed to your homepage, and ads targeting commercial or transactional keywords should link to landing pages where users can fill out a form or take another action.
5. Identify Negative Keywords
Once you’ve determined which keywords you want to target with your ads, you should also identify keywords that don’t relate to your organization’s offerings—also known as negative keywords. Despite the name, negative keywords aren’t inherently bad. They’re just phrases your organization may not want its ads associated with.
Because you spend your Google Ad Grant funds every time someone clicks on one of your ads, it’s vital to exclude irrelevant or wasteful search terms from your campaigns. That way, you can maximize your monthly budget by focusing on ads that are likely to convert users.
Google Ads Optimization Tips for Audience Targeting
Although keywords are essential for your Google Ads to reach the correct audience, there are other targeting strategies you can use to boost clicks and conversions. We’ll discuss three of these in more detail below.
6. Define Your Target Audience
As with any strategy for supporter engagement, it’s important to understand the individuals you want to reach with your various Google Ads. Some segmentation criteria you can use to define your target audience include:
Once you understand your target audience, you can write ad copy that they’ll be receptive to and add keywords that they’re likely to search for to your strategy. Also, keep in mind that each of your ads might have a slightly different target audience.
7. Leverage Geotargeting
Geotargeting allows your nonprofit to narrow down the audience for a Google Ads campaign to users in a specific geographic area. This is especially useful for marketing in-person events, volunteer opportunities, and services to ensure that the people who see your ad live close enough to benefit from it.
Google Ads provides three overarching location criteria that you can use to get started with geotargeting:
From there, you can further refine your geotargeting by inputting custom locations on a map or reaching out to specific demographics within your target locations. You can also adjust your location-specific keyword bids based on where you’re most likely to receive clicks.
8. Create a Remarketing Strategy
In the context of Google Ads, remarketing or retargeting involves showing search ads to audience members who have previously visited your nonprofit’s website but didn’t convert. When these users search for relevant terms, your ads will display higher on the SERP. Retargeted ads may also appear as banners on other websites within the Google Display Network.
Remarketing allows you to re-engage potential supporters who have shown interest in your organization in the past, reminding them about your mission and encouraging them to come back to your site to take a desired action. Your organization can nurture supporter relationships that might otherwise have been lost and increase a variety of conversions, from donations to event attendance to signups for your email newsletter.
Google Ads Optimization Tips for Ad Structure
While the optimization tips we’ve covered so far focus mostly on factors that affect your entire account, the next four will dive deeper into how your individual Google Ads fit into the bigger picture. Your campaigns determine where your website will show up and who will see those ads, and your ad groups, headlines, copy, and landing pages are the deciding factors that affect your CTR and conversion rates.
9. Understand Correct Campaign Flow
We’ve mentioned the terms “campaign,” “ad group,” and “ad” several times throughout this guide. While each refers to a specific element of your Google Ads strategy, they fit together in a specific way, as shown in the diagram below:
The guidelines of having no more than five campaigns, at least two ad groups per campaign, and at least two ads per ad group are also important for your nonprofit to maintain compliance with the Google Ad Grant policies.
10. Improve Headlines and Copy Through A/B Testing
One of the reasons your nonprofit is required to have at least two ads in each ad group is so that you can conduct A/B testing. This process involves comparing two versions of an ad against one another to properly determine which is the optimal performer.
A/B testing can help you improve several aspects of your Google Ad design, including:
The Google Ad Grant policies require your nonprofit to maintain at least a 5% CTR and be able to show a minimum of one meaningful conversion per month to stay eligible for funding. Testing different variations of your ads against each other to see which one leads to the most clicks and conversions can help you comply with this rule.
11. Optimize Your Landing Pages
In order for your nonprofit to receive Ad Grant funding, Google requires that your website have substantial mission-related content and provide a positive user experience. This is also an area where you shouldn’t take a set-it-and-forget-it approach, though. Once you’ve secured your Google Ad Grant, continue to evaluate your landing pages by asking yourself the following questions:
Additionally, make sure your site loads quickly and is mobile responsive to ensure your audience stays on the landing page long enough to convert.
12. Incorporate Ad Extensions
To make your ads more user-friendly, Google offers a variety of additional features known as ad extensions. There are many different types of extensions, but here are some of the most popular ones for nonprofits to use, as shown in this example from WWF:
According to the Google Ad Grants rules, nonprofits have to add at least two sitelink extensions to each ad to maintain compliance. However, you should also experiment with the other types of ad extensions to see which ones boost conversions the most.
Google Ads Optimization Tip for Effective Management
Our final tip for Google Ads optimization is a simple one: In order to continue managing your campaigns over time, work with experts who specialize in all things Google Ad Grants.
13. Work With a Google Grants Management Professional
Google Ad Grants management is a full-time job. Oftentimes, nonprofits will turn to professional consulting agencies to manage their Google Ad Grants accounts. If you do this, make sure to invest in an agency that devotes its time solely to Google Ad Grants.
Getting Attention is one such agency. We’re prepared to help you every step of the way, from submitting your application to setting up your account to optimizing your ads over time.
Some of our core services include:
If you need additional services outside of these five main solutions, we’re open to discussing our experience and ability to meet your needs. Contact us to learn more about how Getting Attention’s services can help your nonprofit optimize its Google Ads strategy!
Google Ads Optimization: The Bottom Line
Effectively marketing your nonprofit’s mission involves not only taking advantage of the $10,000 in free promotion that the Google Ad Grant provides, but also ensuring your ads continue to perform well over time. Although the optimization process may seem daunting at first, know that you don’t have to go it alone—the experts at Getting Attention are here to help!
To learn more about Google Ads and their purposes, check out these additional resources:
Google Ad Grants Rules: 9 Compliance Policies to Know
/in Google Ad Grants /by Jessica KingIf you’re familiar with the Google Ad Grants program, you may know that its coordinators enforce a series of Google Ad Grants rules nonprofits must follow to stay eligible. While it’s easy to view the compliance guidelines as limitations, these rules can actually be helpful for optimizing your account.
This complete Ad Grants policy compliance guide will share everything you need to know to keep your account in good standing.
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Google Workspace for Nonprofits: Everything You Need to Know
/in Nonprofit Tools /by Jessica KingOrganizing your work and connecting you with your fellow employees are tasks any business software should accomplish. And like businesses, nonprofits can benefit from investing in software that streamlines their operations.
Google Workspace for Nonprofits, also known as Google G Suite for Nonprofits, provides that solution for nonprofits of all types and sizes. The wide variety of apps it offers suits any need a nonprofit could have and facilitates communication and daily tasks. All you have to do is understand Workspace’s features and configure them to match your organization’s needs.
To help you out, we’ve put together this guide on everything you need to know about Google Workspace for nonprofits. Read more
Using Google Ad Grants to Drive Traffic to Nonprofit Videos
/in Google Ad Grants, Nonprofit Communications, Nonprofit Marketing /by Jessica KingOne of the most valuable marketing tools out there for nonprofits is video. Videos display your nonprofit’s mission in a visual, easily digestible way. However, if you don’t effectively promote your videos, they won’t reach potential supporters.
That’s where the Google Ad Grant program comes in. An equally impactful nonprofit marketing tool, the Google Ad Grant is a free and easy way to promote your video content.
In this guide, we’ll cover the basics of the program, explain how it will benefit your video marketing strategy, and provide best practices for leveraging the grant funding. Whether you’re looking for a new way to promote your nonprofit videos, or you’re a Google Ad Grant participant looking to take your marketing strategy to the next level, read on to learn how you can use both the Google Ad Grant and nonprofit videos to your advantage.
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25 Top Matching Gift Companies to Have On Your Radar
/in Nonprofit Communications, Nonprofit Fundraising /by Jessica KingYour nonprofit’s donors are essential for propelling your mission forward. What if you could double their donations and raise even more revenue from their support?
Thanks to corporate matching gift programs, you can do exactly that! As a part of their corporate philanthropy initiatives, many companies match the donations their employees make to nonprofit organizations. The key to success lies in ensuring that your staff and donors understand the matching gift opportunities available.
In this guide, we’ll discuss some matching gift basics and walk through the top 25 matching gift companies you should know. Here’s what we’ll cover:
According to 360MatchPro, “an estimated $2-$3 billion is donated through matching gift programs annually.” Is your nonprofit ready to tap into more of these valuable opportunities? Let’s get started!
Top Matching Gift Companies: FAQs
First, let’s take a look at a few frequently asked questions about matching gift companies so you can better understand how to leverage the opportunities they offer.
Why do companies have matching gift programs?
There are many reasons why businesses launch corporate philanthropy initiatives, such as matching gift programs. The following statistics illustrate the importance of corporate social responsibility among today’s companies, as well as explain why so many employers are dedicated to exemplifying CSR:
From boosting their reputation to increasing employee engagement, companies receive a wide range of benefits from creating matching gift programs. This leads to more support for nonprofits like yours, allowing you to make an even greater difference in the community.
How do matching gift programs work?
Matching gift programs differ from company to company. Typically, the matching gift process looks something like this:
With the right tools and understanding of this process, you can better inform donors of this opportunity and encourage them to submit matching gift requests.
We recommend investing in matching gift software that offers auto-submission via integrations with popular workplace giving platforms. With this technology, your donors can automatically have their matching gift requests submitted to their employers. There’s no need for them to fill out a form manually, and this tool ensures all necessary information is provided to the employer.
What are the key characteristics of a top matching gift company?
More and more businesses are launching matching gift programs, with 51% of Russell 1000 companies publicly disclosing that they offer these opportunities to their employees. To single out the top matching gift companies from the crowd, however, it’s necessary to take a closer look at these differentiating elements:
Keep these matching gift company characteristics in mind as you begin researching and promoting opportunities to your organization’s supporters. This way, you’ll get a better idea of how much you can expect to benefit from each program. Furthermore, many of the top matching gift companies also have volunteer grant programs that encourage their employees to dedicate their time and provide even more funding opportunities to nonprofits.
25 Best Matching Gift Companies
Now that we’ve covered the essentials, let’s explore the 25 top matching gift companies your nonprofit should keep an eye on:
1. Soros Fund Management
Soros Fund Management stands out as a notable matching gift company due to its generous maximum match amount. The details of its program include:
In addition to matching employee donations to most nonprofits, including educational institutions, Soros Fund Management offers a volunteer grant program. When an employee volunteers 20 hours or more with an organization, this company offers the organization a grant of $1,000 to $4,000, depending on the number of hours volunteered.
2. The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company matches gifts to nonprofits focusing on education, the environment, and arts and culture. The details of its program include:
To ensure that their donations are matched, employees must submit their matching gift requests by February 28th of the year following when the gift was made.
3. Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson is another notable matching gift company, with program details such as:
While retired employees are eligible for this company’s impactful program, Johnson & Johnson matches their donations at a 1:1 ratio, with a maximum contribution of $10,000 per year.
4. ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil dedicates itself to significant corporate philanthropy initiatives, including its matching gifts program. The details include:
Similar to Johnson & Johnson, this company allows retired employees to participate in its matching gifts program, but matches their contributions at a 1:1 ratio. Furthermore, ExxonMobil offers two volunteer grant programs for its employees, one for individuals and one for teams, that empower them to further their impact on causes they care about.
5. Merck & Co.
In addition to its matching gifts program, Merck provides a $500 cash contribution to nonprofits that their employees spend at least 40 hours volunteering with each year.
6. The Walt Disney Corporation
Over the past decade, Disney has matched over $104 million through its employee giving programs. Its matching gift program details include:
Additionally, Disney has a “VoluntEARS” grant program that allows employees to direct up to $2,000 in funds toward organizations with which they’ve spent time volunteering.
7. Amgen
Like many other top matching gift companies, Amgen also encourages its employees to get involved in the community through its volunteer grant program. Once an employee volunteers for at least 15 hours with an organization, they can request a $500 grant. Depending on hours volunteered, a full-time employee can request up to $2,000 in volunteer grants per year, while part-time employees can request up to $1,000 per year.
8. Microsoft
Microsoft matches employee donations to most nonprofits, including educational institutions, health and human services, arts and cultural organizations, and more. Its matching gift program details include:
Through the company’s volunteer grant program, employees can also request a $25 grant for every hour they volunteer with an organization. In just 2022, Microsoft employees donated $255 million, including company matches, and volunteered over 720,000 hours with nonprofits.
9. Gap Inc.
Gap Inc. offers numerous environmental, social, and governance (ESG) programs to engage its employees and generate a lasting impact on the community. Its matching gift program details include:
Beyond matching gifts, Gap Inc. has programs such as Money for Time, which involves donating $150 to a nonprofit for every 15 hours an employee volunteers with the organization. The company also encourages employees to spend five “on-the-clock” hours volunteering for causes close to their hearts.
10. Apple
Apple employees can log in to access the company’s giving portal and view all of the complete matching gift guidelines for free. The company also offers a volunteer grant program, donating $25 for every hour an Apple employee volunteers with an organization.
11. Google
Google matches both personal employee donations made to nonprofits and donations made toward disaster relief or international relief. The specific details of its matching gifts program include:
Like many of the best matching gift companies, Google offers a volunteer program and contributes $10 for every hour an employee volunteers with a nonprofit. Furthermore, the company matches funds raised by employees who participate in fundraising events such as marathons or bike rides.
12. Dell
Dell matches employee donations to most nonprofit organizations, including civic and community organizations, educational institutions, environmental causes, and more.
The company matches both individual donations from employees around the world and a portion of funds raised by employees during charitable events, such as walks and bike rides. Additionally, each quarter, Dell awards $150 donations to employees who volunteered more than 10 hours with a nonprofit. Since the inception of its volunteer program, Dell’s employees have spent more than 7.8 million hours volunteering with their nonprofit of choice.
13. Chevron
Most nonprofits are eligible to receive matching gifts from this company, including educational institutions and arts and cultural organizations. While current full-time employees can request matched donations for up to $10,000 per year, retired employees can request up to $3,000 each year.
14. Boeing
Active employees receive a 1:1 match, while retirees, spouses, and domestic partners receive a .5:1 match. Additionally, Boeing offers a volunteer grant program, providing $100 grants for every 10 hours of volunteering, once an employee has contributed at least 25 hours to a nonprofit. The company also offers team volunteer grants, which increase depending on the number of employees who participate in a group volunteer opportunity.
15. State Street Corporation
In the past year, State Street Foundation has contributed $20.2 million to nonprofits, including matching gifts and grants. In addition to donating to organizations, employees can request a $500 grant from the company after volunteering 16 hours with a nonprofit.
16. American Express
While the standard match ratio is 1:1, employees who either serve on a nonprofit’s board or volunteer more than 50 hours a year can receive a 2:1 match for the first $1,000 donated to that organization.
17. Verizon
The company matches financial contributions to most nonprofits, as long as they have 501(c)(3) status or an international equivalent. Specifically, Verizon matches individual donations of up to $5,000 to higher education organizations and up to $1,000 to other nonprofits.
18. General Electric
To date, this company’s matching gift program has raised over $1.5 billion in nonprofit donations. Additionally, General Electric offers a generous deadline for employees to submit their matching gift request (April 15th of the year following the donation).
19. Bank of America
While retired employees cannot participate in the matching gift program, they can request a $500 volunteer grant for every 50 hours volunteered with a nonprofit, for up to $1,000 per year. Current employees can take advantage of this impactful opportunity as well.
20. CarMax
The maximum match amount factors in volunteer grants as well. For every hour a CarMax employee or an eligible family member volunteers, the company awards $15 to the nonprofit.
21. Pfizer, Inc.
In addition to matching gifts, the company has a volunteer grant program that can award up to $1,000 each year depending on the number of hours an employee volunteers. The Pfizer Foundation also offers disaster matches when humanitarian disasters occur, identifying organizations for which it will provide a dollar-for-dollar match for all contributions.
22. Salesforce
Furthermore, Salesforce employees receive seven paid days off each year to spend volunteering in their communities.
23. State Farm
Additionally, the company’s Good Neighbor Grant awards eligible nonprofits with a $500 grant whenever current or retired employees volunteer a minimum of 40 hours with that organization in a year.
24. The Home Depot
Employees must register their gifts by January 31st of the year following their donation. Once they’ve registered their gift, they can easily and conveniently track their matching gift status online.
25. Starbucks
Starbucks employees are also eligible for volunteer grants up to $1,000, depending on the number of hours they serve with a nonprofit.
How to Earn More Matching Gift Revenue
Since each matching gift company has differing guidelines, it’s important to have a way to effectively keep track of all of this information. Fortunately, there are tools made exclusively for nonprofits that will empower your team to identify these matching gift programs and boost your overall matching gift revenue.
Let’s explore some essential matching gift best practices for your nonprofit.
Use a Matching Gift Database
A matching gift database contains all the information your nonprofit and donors need to know about corporate matching gift programs. After considerable research and comparisons, our top recommended matching gift database to optimize your results is 360MatchPro by Double the Donation.
Double the Donation’s database houses up-to-date information on over 20,000 matching gift companies. This service allows you to embed a company search tool anywhere on your website, such as your donation page. When a donor makes a gift, the widget will automatically populate with their company’s matching gift forms and guidelines.
360MatchPro scans the information donors provide during the giving process, such as their employer information, and triggers branded follow-up emails depending on their matching gift eligibility. If it’s determined that your donor works for a company with a matching gift program, 360MatchPro will automatically send out matching gift request instructions on your behalf. This ensures that you can identify more eligible donors and boost your fundraising revenue.
Leverage Auto-Submission
Historically, donors manually fill out a matching gift request to ask their employer to match their donations. These forms require a bunch of information the supporter already provided in their initial donation or likely needs to look up, such as the nonprofit’s tax ID number, donation amount, date of the gift, and more. Luckily, nonprofits can now eliminate this step.
Make submitting matching gift requests on your nonprofit’s behalf even more convenient with auto-submission. With this functionality, all they need to do is use their corporate email address when donating. Then, the tool will complete and send the form on their behalf.
To take advantage of auto-submission, the donor must work for a company that utilizes a corporate social responsibility (CSR) management platform that integrates with Double the Donation, like Millie or Selflessly. Furthermore, the benefiting nonprofit must use Double the Donation’s matching gift tools.
So far, auto-submission functionality is projected to yield an 80% increase in matching gift revenue for nonprofits. As availability becomes increasingly widespread, more nonprofits and companies will experience the convenience of auto-submission.
Promote Matching Gifts to Supporters
Finally, ensure that all of your organization’s current and prospective donors are aware of matching gift opportunities by spreading the word about these programs online. In addition to using 360MatchPro to send automated emails to supporters, you can promote more matching gifts by:
Your nonprofit doesn’t need an extensive marketing budget to boost awareness of matching gifts. By making the most of opportunities such as the Google Ad Grant program, your organization can claim $10,000 a month to direct users to your matching gift page. As with any grant opportunity, be sure to conduct your research ahead of time to determine your eligibility and maximize your chances of success.
Wrapping Up
Over 26 million people around the world work for companies with matching gift programs. While these 25 matching gift companies may be some of the most notable among nonprofits, there’s an abundance of opportunities for your organization to earn more revenue for its mission.
If you’re looking for more information on promoting and optimizing matching gifts for your nonprofit, check out these helpful resources:
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Software: 11 Top Solutions
/in Nonprofit Fundraising, Nonprofit Marketing, Nonprofit Tools /by Jessica KingPeer-to-peer fundraising is a powerful form of nonprofit fundraising in which organizations empower their supporters to raise money on their behalf. This fundraising strategy, also referred to as social fundraising or P2P giving, enables nonprofits to reach larger audiences, engage new donors, and raise a ton of funding for their causes.
For this fundraising method to be effective, your dedicated supporters require the right tools—or peer-to-peer platforms—to manage their fundraising from start to finish. And there are a lot of software choices to explore. That’s why we’ve crafted this guide to help you decide on the provider that’s best for you.
In this article, we’ll cover the following:
By the end of this guide, you’ll be comfortable with the types of features and functionalities peer-to-peer fundraising software can offer, and you’ll walk away with a few great options to consider. Set your team up for success by carefully deciding which solution will work best for you!
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Software: The Basics
Keeping your peer-to-peer fundraising process organized can be difficult. Your team may have suddenly become a lot bigger with the inclusion of your peer fundraisers, and you have to manage both them and your staff members for your campaign to succeed. Plus, you have to track the funds everyone has raised and keep morale and excitement high.
Peer-to-peer fundraising software can help you keep your processes organized and streamlined. Such a solution comes with the following functionalities:
Peer-to-peer fundraising software is specifically designed to help your nonprofit’s peer-to-peer campaign shine. Harness these functionalities to provide support for your volunteers and ensure your next campaign is a success.
11 Top Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Software Solutions
When choosing a peer-to-peer fundraising software solution to invest in, take a look at their case studies and testimonials. In particular, assess how the provider has helped organizations similar to yours in size and type, as that will give you insight into how the solution will work for you. Also, don’t be afraid to look at third-party reviews!
Keep these considerations in mind as you read through the following list of top peer-to-peer fundraising software solutions. If you see a solution you’re interested in, assess whether it will meet your needs, align with your budget, and be easy to use.
1. CharityEngine
CharityEngine is an all-in-one nonprofit donor management and fundraising platform designed to aid nonprofits of all sizes in a wide range of fundraising efforts. In addition to their greater constituent relationship management (CRM) solution, they offer peer-to-peer fundraising software that provides groups and individual fundraisers with the capabilities they need to succeed.
Some of CharityEngine’s peer-to-peer features include:
Plus, CharityEngine’s peer-to-peer fundraising software integrates seamlessly with donor management solutions, event management tools, and other fundraising software. That way, you can smoothly transition from your existing software to this CRM solution.
2. Classy
Classy is a comprehensive online fundraising solution complete with peer-to-peer functionality and a mission to empower nonprofit organizations to unlock the generosity of their supporters. Since its foundation, Classy has helped thousands of nonprofits advance their missions, raising more than $5 billion in donation revenue.
This peer-to-peer fundraising software’s features include:
With Classy, you’ll be able to mobilize your supporters with easy-to-use tools so they feel empowered to advocate for your cause. Plus, you’ll have built-in tips and expert fundraising guidance, including automated email workflows to coach, motivate, and thank volunteer fundraisers.
3. Click & Pledge
A powerful online fundraising platform, Click & Pledge is dedicated to helping nonprofits and their supporters set up and manage effective fundraising campaigns. They’ve handled more than $1 billion in charitable contributions for more than 20,000 causes. Their platform is built for a variety of organizations, including nonprofits, associations, educational institutions, faith-based groups, and more.
They offer a variety of solutions that can support your peer-to-peer needs, including:
Click & Pledge’s peer-to-peer fundraising software solution provides added customizability by offering over 20 unique widgets for volunteers to add to their pages. It also makes tracking and managing your volunteers easier through a team portal, where you can evaluate success at-a-glance and conveniently message team members.
4. Donately
Donately is an online solution dedicated to creating innovative and effective online donation forms and fundraising pages. Working with all sorts of nonprofits, churches, businesses, and agencies, this peer-to-peer fundraising software aims to simplify the donation process on both the donors’ end and the organization’s.
A unique feature that Donately offers is its top-of-the-line peer-to-peer fundraising pages. These pages are customized to fit your organization’s branding, but still allow your volunteers to personalize them with their own stories. The result is a cohesive and harmonious page that drives more donations.
Plus, you’ll get access to fundraiser progress tracking bars and social sharing tools to further spread the word about your campaign. With this peer-to-peer fundraising software, you’ll be able to effortlessly expand your donor network.
5. DonorDrive
This peer-to-peer fundraising software solution works with nonprofits, healthcare organizations, and higher education institutions to simplify online giving and assist in raising more for their causes. DonorDrive amplifies the voices of your biggest advocates, who can share their personal stories to expand your donor base and connections.
With a mobile fundraising app, virtual campaign functionality, online donation campaigns, peer-to-peer giving, and more, DonorDrive users have the tools they need to power their missions effectively.
Peer-to-peer donors have access to simplified donation processes to make giving more convenient. They can make recurring gifts and see if their employers will match their gifts, resulting in more donations for your nonprofit. Plus, DonorDrive offers other unique features such as personalized coaching, social media integrations, flexible event configuration, automated communication, and real-time data insights.
6. Getting Attention
Promoting your peer-to-peer fundraising efforts is key to your campaign’s success. By adequately marketing your campaign, you’ll be able to maximize the number of individuals you reach out to and form connections with. Digital marketing will help you enhance the visibility of your campaign, increasing the number of donations you receive.
Getting Attention is a peer-to-peer fundraising solution focused on bringing more attention to your campaign. It does so by helping your nonprofit gain access to and optimize your usage of the Google Ad Grant. Essentially, this program gives your nonprofit $10,000 of free credit to spend on Google Ads, greatly increasing your outreach.
You can use the Google Ad Grant to:
However, using the Google Ad Grants program can be difficult for nonprofits without experience in the realm of search engine optimization. That’s where Google Ad Grant agencies like Getting Attention come into play.
Professionals from these agencies bring their experience and expertise to help you generate the impact you want. They offer a variety of services related to Google Ad Grants, including:
By working with a Google Ad Grants professional, you’ll be able to perform targeted outreach that increases awareness and participation in your peer-to-peer campaign. This results in enhanced site engagement and increased recognition, making it an extremely effective peer-to-peer fundraising software for marketing.
7. GiveWP
For nonprofits with blogs run through WordPress, GiveWP is the peer-to-peer fundraising software for you. This solution is a WordPress donation plugin option, making donating more convenient for website visitors. It’s an open-source suite of tools that makes fundraising quick and easy.
GiveWP offers a peer-to-peer add-on that allows volunteers to leverage its features to encourage their networks to make gifts to your nonprofits. A unique offering of theirs is the ability to give donors choices through:
Other top features of GiveWP’s peer-to-peer platform include fundraising goal progress bars for individuals and teams, social sharing abilities with built-in calls-to-action, and integrated sponsorship information.
8. iDonate
iDonate is a modern digital giving solution designed for today’s nonprofits and other charitable organizations to grow their online giving and better reach dedicated supporters. This powerful suite of fundraising software encompasses peer-to-peer fundraising, web and mobile giving, and event management tools to drive results.
This software solution has a focus on optimizing your organization’s growth through the following features:
Their peer-to-peer fundraising platform incorporates top features such as a comprehensive command center and anchor page, campaign management with real-time data metrics, and easy campaign building and editing tools for individual fundraisers.
9. OneCause
OneCause is an online fundraising and event solution that has grown from a mobile bidding tool to a comprehensive giving platform with capabilities for online donations, peer-to-peer fundraising, auction and event management, and more. Since its launch, OneCause has raised more than $5 billion in charitable donations from 2.5 million supporters and over 40,000 fundraisers.
This software maximizes peer-to-peer fundraising by making it more social, mobile, and fun. It allows you to design your campaign materials based on the type of peer-to-peer campaign you’re hosting, whether that’s a walk-a-thon, memorial, or virtual campaign.
The OneCause peer-to-peer fundraising platform offers key features such as social media integration, motivation and rewards, flexible branding, and accessible technology to help your nonprofit reach its goals.
10. Neon Fundraise
Neon Fundraise is a product of Neon One, a nonprofit software company with innovative solutions for donor management, online fundraising, program management, events, web development, and more. With this peer-to-peer fundraising software, it’s easy to take your mission to new heights by creating winning experiences for donors, fundraisers, and staff.
Some of the top features this software solution offers include:
These features all work together to create a smooth donation experience for your volunteers’ friends and family, helping to create a more successful peer-to-peer campaign for your organization. Not only that, but it will also help automate your workflow, making issuing receipts and collecting registrations more efficient.
11. Qgiv
Qgiv is a powerful fundraising platform designed to assist nonprofit organizations with the tools they need to collect charitable donations online, in person, and over text. The peer-to-peer side of their software includes features such as:
This software solution also allows you to build customizable and virtual events to fit the needs of your peer-to-peer campaign. It also offers branded team and individual fundraising pages, flexible registrations, and progress thermometers to ensure that event attendees and volunteers are engaged and have a great experience fundraising for your community.
Additional Fundraising Resources
Peer-to-peer fundraising can take your nonprofit strategy to the next level. Not only does it allow you to acquire more donations, but it allows you to form connections with a greater number of potential supporters. To ensure your efforts are successful, equip your volunteers with the most effective and intuitive peer-to-peer fundraising software solutions. That way, you’ll maximize the impact of your campaign.
If you’d like to learn more about nonprofit marketing and fundraising, check out these resources:
Staff Retention: 9 Winning Ways to Improve Employee Loyalty
/in Nonprofit Tools /by Jessica KingMost, if not all, nonprofits struggle to retain talent, especially in today’s challenging job market and remote work environment.
Improving employee retention requires an intentional and multifaceted approach. To be successful, your plan must encompass multiple employee touchpoints and a focus on employee engagement strategies.
Employees who feel valued, appreciated, and recognized by their organizations and direct managers are happier with their current situations and more likely to envision a future with their organizations.
The following tips can help boost employee engagement and increase retention:
Improving employee retention is essential for the long-term health and success of your organization. After all, according to Gallup, the cost of replacing an employee can be one-half to two times that employee’s annual salary. Attract top talent and keep them invested in their roles with these key tips.
1. Redirect your compensation efforts
Offering competitive salaries is a challenge for most nonprofits. Frequently, overhead costs must be kept to a minimum, and salary budgets are limited by funding. While replacing employees is costly, many nonprofits simply do not have the resources available to provide increases to pay or pay ranges. Exploring other avenues to address compensation gaps is important.
One approach is to view compensation from a total rewards perspective. Focus on the indirect components of compensation, emphasizing the overall value of the package provided to employees. Indirect compensation includes perks, recognition programs, mental and physical wellness benefits, culture, management styles, and much more.
It is also important to address any inequities in your compensation structure as part of greater diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
2. Focus on career advancement
Another common reason employees leave an organization is a lack of advancement. Often, individuals seek positions elsewhere without fully understanding the developmental paths available with their current employer.
Employees need to feel that they have the ability to move and progress within a company. Meet with your employees to understand their goals and interests. It’s imperative for leadership to communicate about the organization’s plans, how individuals may fit into that plan, and future opportunities that will be provided.
Formalized policies and practices regarding pathways to advancement and promotions are important to retention. A policy of filling open positions from within and laying out a clear process is evidence of commitment to employee growth and development.
3. Provide opportunities for skill development
Furthermore, it’s important to consider various ways of providing opportunities for development. Not all movement needs to be vertical. Lateral moves within an organization can be equally valuable. They allow employees to:
Formal training programs are always an option, but they can be expensive and require a significant commitment of time. Leveraging internal expertise to develop new skills and competencies can be an effective and economical way to provide opportunities to develop new skills.
Some common initiatives include lunch and learns, peer mentoring, and preceptorships. This cross-pollination connects people across your organization, building rapport, trust, and camaraderie that deepens their connection to the organization.
4. Understand the pressures on employees
Employees experience stress both in and outside of work. Regardless of the source, the resulting mental fatigue impacts work performance. Society is becoming more in tune and comfortable with discussing and addressing mental illness and stress. Top employers show similar understanding by instituting benefits that help employees better cope.
Examples of employer-provided support include:
Providing resources to support personal and family challenges shows your employees that you value them as people. These benefits and programs evidence an organizational commitment to stand by employees through both significant, life-altering events as well as everyday obligations that may cause chronic stress.
5. Commit to transparency and clear communication
Employees need to know how and why decisions are made. Do not allow the rumor mill or employee imaginations to tell your story. Frequent, honest communication undermines the spread of inaccurate information, allows for understanding, and builds trust between leadership and staff.
Communication should be two-way, not just from leadership down. Build a culture where employees not only expect managers to ask for their input but feel comfortable offering their opinions. Find out what your employees think about important topics, including what they like and dislike about working at your organization.
Common mechanisms for gathering employee perceptions and ideas include:
Welcome feedback in a positive fashion, as negative responses will only stifle future participation.
Once you have this information, do not sit on it. If you are going to ask for feedback, it is crucial that you take action. If action is not possible, circle back to employees to explain the decision-making process.
6. Emphasize your calling
Typically, the employees that a nonprofit attracts are passionate about the organization’s mission and have a strong desire to serve. Capitalize on this connection to keep your employees excited about being part of your team.
Integrate your values and mission into everything you do – your culture, policies, and initiatives. When your mission is central to serving your constituents it is also critical to how you treat your employees. A consistent reminder of the good that comes from their efforts will inspire and have an impact on employees’ long-term commitment to your organization.
7. Celebrate employee successes
Besides incorporating a total rewards approach to your organization, you should also focus on ways to acknowledge and celebrate your employees’ successes. This should be done on a standard basis to ensure that anyone on your team can give kudos. Some simple ways you can start showing employee appreciation include:
Each nonprofit is different, so your recognition mechanisms will likely vary depending on your budget, goals, and size. However, these methods are tried-and-true and can do wonders for your staff retention efforts.
8. Invest in employee engagement software
While your personal relationship with employees is a crucial part of boosting their engagement, you shouldn’t take on new initiatives empty-handed. There are many software solutions on the market that can help you take your employee engagement strategies to the next level. Consider investing in the following types of software:
While these solutions are great starting points for your engagement software rollout, they’re far from the only ones available. To pick the best fit for your nonprofit, gauge your current employee engagement tactics and determine whether they could be optimized with software. Then, research the options available and book free demos to see which best fits your needs and budget. Finally, once you’ve picked your ideal product, ensure your team receives robust training so you can hit the ground running with your new platform!
9. Create a corporate giving program
Did you know that 65% of people want to work for companies that prioritize social good? When you create a corporate giving program, you not only help worthy causes but also prove to your employees that your company takes active measures to live up to its values.
There are so many ways to engage your employees through corporate giving, including:
When employees feel that they’re not only working for their employer but working with their employer to make the world a better place, they’re more likely to be engaged in their work and stick around.
Wrapping Up
In closing, putting together a retention strategy that addresses your organization’s unique needs can be challenging. It can be helpful to seek guidance from professional HR consultants to identify best practices and help implement change. Whether you decide to seek external assistance or develop your plan in-house, the above tips will point you in the right direction for developing a winning retention plan for your organization.
How to Find Grants for Nonprofits: A Guide to Free Funding
/in Nonprofit Communications, Nonprofit Fundraising /by Jessica KingFrom capital support to marketing assistance, grants provide many opportunities for boosting the success of your nonprofit. After all, your organization needs steady funding to continue furthering its mission and finding better ways to make a difference in the lives of those you serve.
With the right approach, you can build lasting relationships with grantmakers and secure significant revenue to propel your projects forward. In this guide, we’ll walk through how to find grants for nonprofits in detail, so you have everything you need to begin pursuing these impactful opportunities. Here’s what we’ll cover:
For 11 consecutive years, giving from foundations has grown, reaching a total of $90.88 billion in 2021. This means that it’s an ideal time to start searching for grants that will accelerate your organization’s impact. Let’s get started with all you need to know about finding nonprofit grants.
Grants for Nonprofits: FAQs
Your nonprofit’s long-term success depends on diversifying its funding sources. If you’ve decided that it’s time to add grants to the mix, it’s important to first understand the ins and outs of this type of funding to learn how it will best fit into your current strategy.
What are grants for nonprofits?
Nonprofit grants are financial gifts that grantmaking organizations provide to nonprofits, typically for a specific purpose or initiative.
In order to receive this funding, however, your organization will need to fulfill the grantmaker’s specific requirements and submit an application. It’s ultimately up to the grantmaking organization to decide whether or not they’d like to support your nonprofit.
What types of nonprofit grants are there?
There are several types of nonprofit grants. By understanding how they differ from one another, you’ll be able to focus on the specific grants that best serve the needs of your organization. The five main types of grants include:
Since each type of grant contributes to the success of your organization in a different way, be sure to keep these distinctions in mind when finding nonprofit grants. This ensures that you only apply for the opportunities that will benefit your nonprofit the most.
Where do grants for nonprofits come from?
When looking for grants to apply for, you need to learn to distinguish between the various sources of grant funding to set your organization up for success. The most common sources of nonprofit grants are:
The Government
There are various levels in the government grant funnel that offer valuable funding opportunities. For instance, nonprofits across the country can receive federal grants. However, nonprofits can only apply for state grants in the particular state to which they belong. Local grants are further limited to a specific community or district within a state.
There are no restrictions on how many government grants a nonprofit can research and pursue. As long as you’ve determined that your organization meets the eligibility criteria, you can apply for as many of these opportunities as you see fit.
Foundations
These organizations play a significant role in supporting nonprofits, accounting for 19% of all charitable giving in 2021. The two main categories of foundations are private foundations and public charities, though organizations in both categories supply grant funds to nonprofits.
While a private foundation typically acquires its funds from a single individual or a family, public charities receive financial support from a variety of sources, including government agencies and program service fees. Some of the most notable foundations that provide funding opportunities to nonprofit organizations include the Ford Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Corporations
Corporate grants are a vital source of funding for nonprofits, providing financial support for programs, initiatives, and services that align with a company’s philanthropic goals. Unlike sponsorships or donations, corporate grants are typically more structured and formal, often requiring nonprofits to submit detailed applications or proposals. These grants can be targeted toward specific projects, operating costs, or capacity-building efforts, making them an important component of a nonprofit’s funding strategy.
As a result, many corporations allocate portions of their profits toward their corporate giving initiatives. The Google Ad Grants program is a clear example of a large corporation offering resources and assistance to nonprofits, with Google donating valuable ad space that most businesses pay thousands of dollars to obtain.
Some businesses also offer matching gifts and corporate volunteer grants, which provide funding to nonprofits after an employee gives to or volunteers a certain number of hours with the organization. Over 65% of Fortune 500 companies offer these programs, including Microsoft, Disney, Bank of America, FedEx, Home Depot, and more.
Federated Funds
Local businesses and company employees raise these funds to distribute to nonprofits. This type of “community chest” model can be a significant source of revenue. While it’s often easy for donors to give to federated funds, it’s crucial for organizations to apply for this funding early to increase their chances of securing some of these resources.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of grants?
As with any fundraising initiative, it’s necessary to weigh the pros and cons before you start pursuing nonprofit grant opportunities. Some important considerations include:
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Fortunately, your nonprofit can cut down on many of these disadvantages by addressing them upfront. For instance, adopting grant management software can make it easier to keep track of all of your grant-related efforts, saving you time and energy in the process.
Should I apply for a nonprofit grant?
Once you’ve considered nonprofit grant types, their common sources, and their associated advantages and disadvantages, it’s time to determine whether your organization should apply for these funding opportunities. Use these questions to guide you:
Keep your nonprofit’s short- and long-term goals in mind when searching for and deciding to apply for grants. Make the most of your efforts by focusing only on opportunities that match your specific needs. For instance, if you’re hoping to leverage grant money to enhance your marketing, you might consider applying for the Google Ad Grant, which will supply you with funds to spend on digital ads.
How to Find Grants for Nonprofits: 5 Steps
The process of finding grants that are the right fit for your organization does not have to be complicated or confusing. By following these steps, you’ll be well on your way to securing funds that will amplify your nonprofit’s impact.
1. Know Your Goals and Mission
Take the time to clearly define your nonprofit’s goals. There may be numerous grant opportunities available, but only some of them will actually empower your organization to achieve those goals.
Additionally, keep your mission centered in your search. By finding grantmakers that align with your mission and values, you’ll increase your chances of securing the funds and avoid spending unnecessary time pursuing opportunities that don’t match your priorities.
2. Do Your Research
You’ll need to conduct some extensive research to narrow down grant opportunities that are suitable for your nonprofit. Get started by exploring some of these resources:
When sifting through these sources, identify whether each grant meets your nonprofit’s needs and aligns with your mission. Additionally, it’s essential to have a specific budget outlined for the project or initiative you’re hoping to accomplish with grant funding. This will help you sift through opportunities more precisely and facilitate your application process down the line.
3. Develop a Clear Grant Proposal
As a grant applicant, it’s crucial to develop a proposal that demonstrates why your nonprofit is most deserving of the funds. Remember to:
The research you conduct will provide essential context that will guide your approach to each proposal. To further hone your proposal writing skills, consider searching for past successful applications online and making note of their strengths.
4. Review Your Grant Application
Before submitting your grant application, read through it from a reviewer’s perspective. This ensures that you don’t miss any important details that someone outside of your organization may need to understand your proposal.
Keep in mind that grantmakers will reference sources beyond your grant application to inform their decision. Therefore, be sure to demonstrate your nonprofit’s impact on your website, social media channels, and any other platforms reviewers may look at.
Furthermore, don’t hesitate to engage with grantmakers before submitting your applications. Whether you reach out through social media, email, phone calls, or in-person meetings, cultivating relationships with grantmakers can be crucial to securing funds both now and in the future.
5. Prioritize Proper Grant Management
After your nonprofit has received a grant, there are several best practices to follow to make the most of this opportunity. To optimize your outcomes:
Effective grant management allows your nonprofit to build a positive reputation among grantmakers and maintain strong, productive relationships with organizations that have chosen to support you.
4 Best Practices for Finding Nonprofit Grants
Now that you understand how to find grants for nonprofits, explore these four best practices to maximize your success. The more preparation you invest in the process, the better your outcomes will be.
1. Use the 3-Way Fit Test
The 3-way Fit Test is a useful tool for eliminating leads that are poor matches. The three ways are:
By only concentrating on the grantmakers that fit all three of these criteria, your nonprofit will be able to spend its time and resources wisely to get the most out of your efforts.
2. Learn About the Funder
Beyond researching each specific grant’s requirements, it’s critical to learn more about the grantmaking organization. This will allow you to gauge its likelihood of funding your nonprofit and help you tailor your grant proposal to appeal to its specific interests. Review materials such as their IRS Form 990 and eligibility guidelines. For instance, Google lays out very detailed eligibility requirements for the Ad Grants program.
For grantmakers who don’t have all of their information in one centralized location online, use these questions to guide your research:
These are just a few potential questions to consider, so feel free to expand on this list to uncover more details pertinent to your grant application process.
3. Build Meaningful Connections
While conducting your research, consider reaching out to the funder to ask any clarifying questions. Some baseline questions include:
Directly contacting the grantmaker will kickstart a meaningful relationship with the organization. This could give you an advantage when it comes time for the funder to review grant proposals, as you will be kept top of mind.
4. Recruit Expert Help
If your organization has limited time and resources to devote to finding nonprofit grants, consider recruiting a consultant to assist with your efforts. There are plenty of professional agencies dedicated to helping your nonprofit maximize the funding it receives to further its purpose. Getting Attention, for instance, is a Google Grants agency that can effectively get your organization up and running with the program.
If you’re interested in applying for the Google Ad Grants program and partnering with experts to handle the process, look out for key services such as:
Oftentimes, a nonprofit grant consultant will do all of the research and apply on your organization’s behalf, so you don’t have to worry about how to find grants that fit your specific needs. Just be sure to maintain open communication with your consultant so that everyone is on the same page.
Finding Grants for Nonprofits: 13 Resources
Ready to hit the ground running with finding nonprofit grants? Here are multiple resources to get you started:
Google Ad Grants
Google should be one of your nonprofit’s first stops when it comes to researching impactful grants to support your initiatives. The Google Ad Grants program provides eligible organizations with $329 in daily ad spending, or $10,000 a month, to bid on keywords that will promote essential pages on your website to current and potential supporters online.
Like any other grant, the Google Ad Grant comes with detailed eligibility criteria and a specific application process. To maximize your nonprofit’s chances of success, it’s best to prepare ahead of time and develop a thorough understanding of the program. Luckily, there are quite a few expert resources online for training you and your staff on Google Ad Grants.
Grants.gov
Grants.gov contains over 1000 grant programs offered by all federal grantmaking agencies and allows you to search its database by selecting criteria such as eligibility requirements and category. Additionally, the website contains numerous guides such as FAQs and training videos for grant applicants.
Candid’s Foundation Directory
Candid’s Foundation Directory allows nonprofits to discover funders that may not be easily found on search engines. While you’ll need a subscription to access this resource, Candid offers its subscribers useful tools that assess whether a funder is a good match, track communications with funders, and more.
Philanthropy News Digest
Your nonprofit can search for published grant announcements on Philanthropy News Digest by signing up for a free weekly email that lists newly posted requests for proposals (RFPs). However, be sure to check other resources for more grant opportunities, since less than 1% of foundations publish RFPs.
Regional Giving Dashboards
Candid’s Regional Giving Dashboards provide at-a-glance information on top grantmakers and their funding priorities for 20 different states. You can click on each individual state to explore and even download this data for future reference.
Foundation Landscapes
By partnering with funders and philanthropy networks, Candid developed free custom web portals that display grants available to nonprofits focusing on select issues. These issues include human rights, disaster philanthropy, and early childhood care and education. Since these portals are constantly being updated, they can show you, in real time, the funders and recipients working in your nonprofit’s specific area of work.
Guidestar
The Guidestar directory includes a database of Form 990s. Additionally, you can find the names of nonprofits that a grantmaking organization funded during the filing period, the dollar amount given, and sometimes a brief description of the grant’s purpose. This can help you determine if the organization is likely to fund a nonprofit like yours, which can speed up the application process.
GrantStation
GrantStation is a funder database that produces two useful newsletters: a weekly one that lists recent U.S. grant opportunities and a monthly one that lists international grant opportunities. You can access these for free through other subscriptions/memberships, such as the Grant Professionals Association.
GrantsforUS
On the GrantsforUS website, you can find information about recently released U.S. grant opportunities that you can filter by different categories. Furthermore, you can sign up for free Grant Alerts to effortlessly stay up to date on grants that your nonprofit may be interested in.
Grant Gopher
Grant Gopher is a funding opportunity database that offers U.S. organizations free basic searches and access to the details of their first five search results. Additionally, you can access a newsletter covering a selection of open grant opportunities.
GrantWatch
GrantWatch is a directory of grants that are currently accepting grant applications. You can filter your searches by category, location, type of funding source, and recipient, though the website does charge a small subscription fee for you to access the specific details of each grant.
SAM.gov
This government grant directory provides a full listing of federal programs across all government agencies that provide grants, loans, or other types of assistance to organizations. You can search for relevant opportunities in the search bar and save or download any of your searches to refer back to later.
The Federal Register (FR)
The Federal Register announces newly authorized and/or funded programs, annual application deadlines, and award amounts for continuing programs daily.
Additional Resources
There is an abundance of grant opportunities for your nonprofit to tap into—what matters most is finding the best matches for your organization. While the process requires you to be thorough and precise, once you’ve mastered how to find nonprofit grants, you’ll be able to secure significant funds to power your growth and mission.
Remember that you don’t have to go through finding and applying for grants alone. Reach out to grant professionals, like Getting Attention, for first-rate guidance in maximizing your grant-seeking efforts.
To learn more about securing online support for your nonprofit, explore these additional resources:
3 Revenue Streams to Strengthen Your Fundraising Strategy
/in Nonprofit Communications /by Jessica KingAs a nonprofit professional, you know how important it is to have a steady flow of revenue coming into your organization. Rather than counting on just one or two sources of funding (and potentially leaving money on the table), you need to diversify your revenue streams.
Think of revenue streams like eggs in a basket. As the old saying goes, you can’t bet on just fundraising event success or your annual peer-to-peer fundraising campaign to power your day-to-day operations. By incorporating multiple revenue streams into your fundraising strategy (or putting your eggs into multiple baskets!) you can increase your financial sustainability and expand your budget to pursue larger, high-impact projects. In this blog post, we will explore three revenue streams that can enhance your nonprofit’s fundraising strategy and help you generate more funds while expanding your donor base:
Multiple revenue streams can help your organization better serve its community and carry out its mission. Let’s begin.
Text-to-Give
To break through the noise online and engage donors directly, your nonprofit needs a strong fundraising channel that feels familiar to donors and makes the donation process simple. One innovative platform to do so is text-to-give.
Text-to-give is a powerful fundraising tool that allows nonprofits to connect with supporters and motivate them to give. Because text-to-give is used via a donor’s cellphone, nonprofits can reach supporters immediately. In fact, text messages have a 99% open rate and a 90% read rate in just 3 minutes.
According to Tatango’s guide to text-to-give, text messaging your supporters can be used to accomplish several key initiatives:
By leveraging text-to-give, organizations can engage donors in real-time and streamline the entire donation experience. Here’s a breakdown of how this process works:
The intuitive user-friendliness of text-to-give makes it easy for donors to contribute directly from their mobile devices, increasing the likelihood of immediate and spontaneous giving. Because text-to-donate can also be used to nurture donor relations long-term, you can turn donors into recurring contributors to your mission. Text messaging campaigns can also be utilized to promote events, volunteer opportunities, and other initiatives. By incorporating text-to-give into your fundraising strategy, you can tap into the widespread use of mobile devices and reach supporters wherever they are.
Online Donation Page
Your nonprofit’s online donation page serves as a central hub for accepting contributions. Optimizing your donation page design is crucial to ensuring a seamless and compelling donation experience for your supporters.
To maximize its effectiveness, consider the following three easy-to-implement strategies:
Make sure to market your online donation page widely so donors know how to give. The Double the Donation guide to digital marketing for nonprofits recommends leveraging a multi-channel marketing strategy to increase touchpoints with potential donors and boost visibility. For example, you can share your donation page link in your social media bio and your email newsletter.
Recurring Giving
Nonprofit fundraisers constantly strive for steady revenue streams and lasting donor relationships—both of which can be achieved through the power of recurring giving. Recurring giving is when donors give to your organization on a regular basis, such as monthly, to support your ongoing annual fundraising efforts.
With a well-structured recurring giving program and the right payment processor, the recurring giving amount will automatically be taken out from donors’ bank accounts each month and transferred to your nonprofit. It’s that simple! You just need to get donors on board with recurring giving by explaining its convenience and how ongoing donations make an impact on the community you serve.
The following strategies can elevate your recurring giving program:
Once donors sign up for recurring giving, you can incentivize them to stay involved by creating an exclusive recurring donor club, offering nonprofit merchandise, and publicly thanking them for their support.
Wrapping Up
Diversifying revenue streams is essential for the financial health and sustainability of all kinds of organizations, from higher education institutions to nonprofits. By incorporating text-to-give, optimizing your online donation page, and promoting recurring giving, you can strengthen your fundraising strategy and create a more stable foundation for your organization. Track the performance of each revenue stream to assess your progress and make necessary adjustments.
Your Nonprofit Branding Strategy Can Probably Be Better
/in Nonprofit Communications, Nonprofit Marketing /by Jessica KingA well-defined and recognizable brand can do wonders for any organization or business. Recent studies have shown that 26% of nonprofits have rebranded in the past two years — and of these, around half (47%) have already seen an increase in revenue. This means that if you think your branding could be improved, you’re probably right.
To help you learn how to take your nonprofit branding strategy to the next level this guide will cover:
At Getting Attention, nonprofit marketing is our specialty. By harnessing the power of the Google Ad Grant, we connect nonprofits with the right audiences to drive impact and build support.
Why Does Nonprofit Branding Matter?
It takes anywhere from 17 to 50 milliseconds for people to form a first impression about your brand. Use a bulletproof nonprofit branding strategy to make the most of these precious few seconds.
Effective branding makes your nonprofit more easily recognized. This directly affects whether people see your messaging and feel compelled to take action.
This is why it’s so important to create branded content and messaging. With the right strategy, supporters can build a relationship with your brand and instantly recognize and trust it. Think about the American Red Cross—as soon as you see it, you know exactly who this organization is and what they do. To summarize, nonprofit branding is important because it:
Thoughtful branding execution is an ongoing process. Your nonprofit branding strategy is made of several moving parts that must be managed to create a memorable These moving parts are consolidated into your nonprofit brand guide.
Essential Nonprofit Brand Guide Components to Improve
Who is your organization? A descriptive answer to this question should be captured in your nonprofit brand guide.
This document contains your brand “rules” and ensures that your marketing team is on the same page concerning all components. Without these rules, your branding will be inconsistent and unrepresentative. Your brand guide should be detailed and include use cases for both digital marketing and print materials.
Here is what to include for both messaging and visual elements:
Your Name
It’s common to have different names depending on which region your headquarters occupy. Additionally, some organizations decide to go by acronyms. Take M.A.D.D. or Mothers Against Drunk Driving for example. In this case, the acronym carries an emotional meaning that underlies the group’s cause. Most likely, you’ve already landed on your nonprofit name. To test its effectiveness, ask these questions:
Hopefully, you have answered “yes” to the above questions. If not, it’s time to re-evaluate your nonprofit name to be sure it accurately reflects your organization’s values.
Mission statement
Your mission statement is the core purpose of your nonprofit organization. When crafting your own nonprofit mission statement, make sure to include WHY your nonprofit exists, WHO your nonprofit is helping, and HOW your nonprofit serves them. Your WHY of your mission statement explains your vision, or how your organization would like positive change the world.
For example, The Nature Conservancy captures its mission and vision statement in a memorable and concrete way:
Mission: “To conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.”
Vision: “A world where the diversity of life thrives, and people act to conserve nature for its own sake and its ability to fulfill our needs and enrich our lives.”
The above points answer WHAT the organization is helping (lands and waters) and WHY (to increase the diversity of life). The Nature Conservancy’s “See Our Priorities” link captures the HOW of their nonprofit mission and breaks it down into goals to meet by 2030.
Tone
Your tone describes how you communicate as an organization. Are you urgent or excited? Welcoming or focused? Your chosen tone is an aspect of your overall nonprofit personality and should be representative of how you approach your cause.
A practical application of tone is your tagline. It should be short, catchy, and representative of your mission. For instance, the Montana Historical Society uses the tagline “Big sky, Big land. Big history” to encompass its promise to uphold Montana tradition.
Color
The colors you choose for your nonprofit branding can greatly influence how your audience feels when they see your organization out and about online or in person. When determining the best colors to represent your brand, try to think of the emotions that colors evoke.
For instance, green is often associated with nature while red is associated with passion or urgency. To get a full view of brand color associations, refer to this guide:
As you finalize your color palette, be mindful of existing color associations. For example, pink is also tied to the breast cancer awareness movement. Other considerations include political party and international color meanings.
It’s best to choose one primary color and 2-3 secondary colors to complement it. This way, your branding will remain simple and impactful.
Logo
Your logo is the center of your brand. It’s the image that people remember most and will recognize the easiest. Using your logo consistently helps create an association to your brand and builds the relationship supporters have with your nonprofit’s content. There are three types of logos to consider:
Whichever you choose, ensure your logo evokes the right emotion and is communicative of your mission.
Typography
Your font choices should align with your colors and logo. Sans serif fonts are a popular choice due to their readability and straightforwardness.
Consider selecting two fonts from the same family with different weights to add hierarchy to your visual brand. Use the heavier font weight for headlines and the lighter font for descriptions.
5 Nonprofit Branding Strategy Best Practices
Now that you’ve nailed your nonprofit brand guide, it’s time to explore how to use it to turn more heads and inspire greater support. Consider these best practices to catapult your nonprofit branding forward, connect with your audience, and deliver your messaging in ways that inspire support:
Your nonprofit branding strategy impacts many aspects of your marketing efforts and donor relationships. Leverage these best practices to ensure that your branding not only represents your organization and mission effectively but that you’re able to incorporate it into key messaging and connect with supporters in valuable ways.
5 Smart Nonprofit Branding Examples
Sometimes the best way to visualize your nonprofit brand is by being inspired by other successful brands in your space. Analyzing what makes their branding so memorable and effective will help you learn the ropes or enhance your existing branding.
To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of the top five nonprofit brands to watch. We’ve included a snapshot of each’s colors, logos, and messaging, so you can see how each organization weaves its messaging into its brand.
Nonprofit Branding Example 1: Oxfam
Oxfam is a humanitarian organization dedicated to ending inequality. They call on supporters to fight injustice and poverty as one united community. Here’s what their branding looks like:
Oxfam’s branding reflects its values. The warm green exudes a friendly and welcoming personality that invites everyone to join in their movement. The soft logo does not include divisions or harsh lines as a reminder that everyone deserves a chance to thrive, not just survive. Additionally, Oxfam focuses on the word “equal” in its messaging to echo its mission statement.
Nonprofit Branding Example 2: Feeding America
Feeding America is the largest hunger relief organization in the United States and represents a nationwide network of food banks and pantries. Their vision is to create a hunger-free nation. Here’s a glimpse of their branding:
Feeding America’s mission statement is perfectly captured in its branding materials. Its inclusion of wheat and use of warm, inviting colors signal its promise to end hunger. The use of orange is also commonly used in relation to commercial food logos, mimicking Feeding America’s vision to provide meals for those in need.
Nonprofit Branding Example 3: charity: water
Charity: water is an organization dedicated to increasing clean drinking water access. Founded in 2006, it has been working to help end the water crisis through local partners and supporters. Here is how they use their story to capture their branding:
Charity: water’s jerry can has become famous in the nonprofit logo world because it represents the work this nonprofit does in a succinct and memorable way. Millions of developing communities rely on jerry cans for clean drinking water transport. Therefore, the inclusion of this symbol speaks to charity: water’s promise to bring safe drinking water to its beneficiaries.
Nonprofit Branding Example 4: The Backpack Project
The Backpack Project (TBP) is a student-run organization dedicated to easing the burden of homelessness by delivering backpacks containing food, toiletries, and other necessities to those experiencing homelessness. Here’s how their brand echoes this sentiment:
TBP’s branding’s star feature is its simplicity. Rather than featuring a stuffed bag to visualize the nonprofit’s mission, TBP features only a zipper to get its message across. The zipper is a nod to the backpack, but also a hope that more people experiencing homelessness will be able to “unzip” a better future where they can characterize their experience as “rare and brief.”
Nonprofit Branding Example 5: Pencils of Promise
Pencils of Promise is committed to providing quality education to children in need. They provide teacher support, WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) programs, and quality infrastructure to enhance learning environments. Here is how their brand captures their values:
Pencils of Promise’s simple logo goes for the obvious without becoming intrusive. The pencil shape tells people immediately that this organization is education-centered. Pencils of Promise’s language is also bold and hopeful as reflected in its choice of bright yellow and stark black (which are also the colors of a classic No. 2 pencil!).
Additional Resources
There’s a common misconception that nonprofit branding only refers to your organization’s aesthetics. However, it extends beyond color palettes and fonts, as your brand messaging can directly impact your nonprofit’s marketing and fundraising success. If you want to reach your supporters where they are and spread awareness of your mission, having an effective branding strategy is essential.
To continue your research in learning how to push your nonprofit forward, we encourage you to explore our additional resources for nonprofit branding and marketing: